


Broomsticks, Butterbeer and Terrorist Plots

by Not_Listening



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, Magic, Quidditch, of course, the Spree is a thing, there's a prophecy folks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 49,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_Listening/pseuds/Not_Listening
Summary: Raelle will be the first to admit that she has no idea what she's doing. On top of quidditch practice and the rather large crush she has on Scylla Ramshorn, she now has to deal with a wizarding terrorist organization that's apparently intent on killing her?Evidently, the upcoming match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff is the least of her concerns.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 142
Kudos: 516





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, it's my favorite thing: Hogwarts AU that no one asked for!!! I'm a sucker for a good Hogwarts AU

Raelle didn’t exactly project a Hufflepuff image. 

She was grumpy, closed-off, and many students were afraid of her. It was a mystery to many as to why the sorting hat had thought she would fit in with what was commonly seen as the sweetest house. 

However, to Tally Craven, fellow Hufflepuff, it made complete sense. 

Raelle was fiercely loyal, and she was ride-or-die for those she cared about. That screamed Hufflepuff, regardless of how cold she seemed to the other students.

Tally was her only close friend in Hufflepuff, having broken through her walls within the first few days of meeting her in their fifth year. 

Now, in their sixth year, Tally was the only person Raelle really spoke to, other than Abigail Bellweather, Tally’s other friend. 

Abigail was a Slytherin, and there was clearly no mystery as to why. The girl was ambitious, devilishly smart, and she had more drive to succeed than anyone Raelle had ever met. 

Perhaps it was just how she had been raised, considering her mom was famed auror Petra Bellweather. Petra was renowned among the wizarding world for being the auror who caught some of the most notorious dark witches and wizards of her time.

So, yeah, Abigail had a lot to live up to.

But Abigail clearly had a promising future ahead of her, too. She was the top of nearly all her classes, and she was basically a prodigy in Defense against the Dark Arts. 

Raelle personally thought she was a little stuck-up. But, she suffered her presence because she cared about Tally, and Tally was clearly fond of the Bellweather, regardless of how pompous she seemed.

The only place Raelle seemed to be able to compete with Abigail in any serious way was on the quidditch field. 

Raelle was a gifted flier, and she was Hufflepuff’s most promising keeper in years. She and Abigail had a fierce rivalry in quidditch, and it clearly showed in the matches between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. 

Abigail was Syltherin’s main chaser, and she threw the quaffle at Hufflepuff’s goal with unimaginable speed when she attempted to score. The only keeper that was really able to defend against Abigail’s scores was Raelle. 

She was a natural keeper, eerily gifted at blocking any score attempts, and it clearly frustrated Abigail to no end. 

Raelle thought it was hilarious. 

Those games between Hufflepuff and Slytherin had become the most exciting matches in Hogwarts. Many students showed up just to witness Raelle and Abigail’s competition firsthand, marveling at their speed and accuracy. They had a certain rhythm, as if Raelle could sense where Abigail was going to hit it, and Abigail could predict how Raelle would react to her shots. 

Needless to say, those were exciting days. 

However, outside the field, Abigail and Raelle were perfectly civil to each other, even friendly, if Raelle could ever admit it.

(Okay, so maybe Abigail wasn’t as horrible as she thought. Whatever.)

Raelle kept to herself most of the time, only speaking to Tally and Abigail during meals and in her free time. 

The other students tended to stay away, clearly intimidated by the constant scowl that was always clear on the Hufflepuff’s face. And Raelle liked it that way. She was better off on her own, anyway. 

Until Scylla Ramshorn. 

She’s not exactly sure when it began. When she started to notice Scylla, starting to search for those blue eyes wherever she went, when she became fascinated with the Ravenclaw. 

Maybe it started in her fifth year, when she noticed the girl in the blue robes sitting a few seats away in potions. 

Slughorn had been rambling about something or other, and as usual, Raelle was tuning him out. She twirled her quill across her fingers, only glancing up when she heard a soft voice fill the room. 

“Amortentia, Professor Slughorn,” she answered the professor’s question, glancing around the room apprehensively as Slughorn applauded. 

“Correct, again, Scylla.” he said, turning with a flourish back to his chalkboard. 

Raelle was tuning Slughorn out yet again as she glanced over at the brunette who had answered. She wasn’t sure how she had never seen the girl, she was  _ beautiful. _

Short brown locks partly covered her face, but Raelle spied a small nose and a sharp jaw, completed by a pair of piercing blue eyes. 

Before she knew it, she was staring, eyes wide as she took in the girl’s beauty. 

Unfortunately, she was distracted by movement around the classroom. Everyone was getting up, moving towards the ingredients set out on the desk at the front. 

Raelle sighed, sneaking in one more glance at the girl before she stood and grabbed the ingredients for her potion. 

_ Scylla.  _

Raelle almost swooned. 

She forced herself to focus as she began to work on the potion. Amortentia, she noticed when she looked up at the board for instructions. She almost wished she had paid attention when she saw how complicated the instructions were. 

Her eyes widened at how many words filled the chalkboard. Suddenly, Tally elbowed her side, grabbing her attention and giving her a flat look. “You didn’t pay attention, did you?” 

Raelle gave her a sheepish grin. “That’s why I have you, Tal.” she said. “You pay attention for both of us.” 

Tally shook her head. “You’re lucky I’m here.” she said, gathering their ingredients. “Your talent won’t always cut it, Raelle,” 

Raelle snorted. “C’mon, you sound like Anacostia.” she said, preparing their cauldron. 

“She has a point,” Tally began, frowning when Raelle began cutting their ingredients. 

“Whatever,” Raelle responded. “I’ll be fine.” 

Tally shook her head, looking down to focus on her own work. 

As they fell into a familiar rhythm, having been partners for a while now, Raelle found herself glancing over to the other side of the question. Her eyes were drawn to the girl in blue robes once again. 

Scylla looked as if she was at home. Potions was clearly where she thrived, and it showed through her work. She effortlessly cut up the ingredients, accurately measuring them and dropping them in the cauldron. She barely gave the complicated instructions a glance before she began stirring and mixing the ingredients, clearly unworried about anything going wrong. 

It was amazing to watch. 

Too amazing, apparently. Raelle jumped at the sharp pain in her thumb, immediately looking down towards her hand to find her thumb covered in blood. 

She winced as she noticed the cut on the appendage. It was pretty deep. 

She immediately pressed her thumb against her robes in an effort to stop the bleeding. Tally turned, having noticed Raelle’s abrupt reaction. She glanced down at the bloody table and the hand wrapped up in the folds of her robe, and her eyes widened as she realized what had happened. 

“Raelle!” she hissed, grabbing her friend’s wrist and pulling her hand towards her. “You need to be more careful!” 

“I know, I know,” Raelle said, wincing as Tally pressed a hand against the wound, wiping away the blood. 

“You should go to the infirmary.” Tally said, already turning to raise her hand. 

“No!” Raelle said immediately, not wanting to draw any attention to herself, especially Scylla’s. “I can heal it.” 

Tally narrowed her eyes. “Rae, you know you’re not supposed to-” 

“It’s fine,” Raelle said, already lifting her thumb to the table. 

“What if someone sees?” Tally asked, apprehension creeping into her voice. 

“They won’t,” Raelle insisted, grimacing as she wrapped her other hand around her bleeding thumb. 

Before Tally could stop her, Raelle was already muttering a quiet chant under her breath, her voice becoming deeper as she summoned her healing power. 

Tally glanced around nervously, scared about anyone catching them. Thankfully, everyone seemed too focused on their brew, struggling with the complex process for brewing Amortentia. 

As soon as she began, Raelle had finished, grabbing Tally’s shoulder to get her attention. Tally jumped, sighing in relief as Raelle held up her thumb. It was no longer bleeding, the cut having sealed itself, leaving only unblemished skin. 

“You should be more careful, you know,” Tally chided. “You can’t do that all the time, Anacostia told you to keep your abilities a secret.” 

“Yeah, well,” Raelle said with a shrug, already turning back to her work. “What does she know?” 

“A lot!” Tally hissed at Raelle in disbelief. 

“Whatever!” Raelle replied. “She doesn’t have to find out. What’s the big deal, anyway? Why should I even keep it a secret?” 

Tally shook her head, giving Raelle a warning look. “I don’t know, Rae, but I do know that Anacostia sounded pretty serious when she told you to keep it to herself. And I trust her.” 

Raelle sighed, nodding. She trusted Anacostia, too. The woman was her favorite professor, and it seemed that she genuinely cared for her students. 

Tally nodded, seeming to relax at Raelle’s surrender. She returned to her work, dumping the ingredients into the cauldron and squinting at the chalkboard. 

Raelle rested her head against her fist as Tally began to stir the potion, sighing as she glanced back towards Scylla’s desk. 

She almost fell off of her stool when she found blue eyes staring back at her. 

They looked at each other for a few moments, Raelle’s eyes wide in amazement as she gazed at the girl. 

Scylla gave her a small smirk, looking Raelle up and down before turning back toward her potion. 

Even that small bit of eye contact had Raelle’s heart racing, blinking a few times to bring back her focus. 

Maybe that was when she started to become infatuated with Scylla Ramshorn. She found herself searching for a familiar pair of blue eyes wherever she went, always looking over towards the right corner of the classroom during her potions lesson. 

However much she searched for the girl and looked on from a distance, Raelle could never find the courage to talk to her. 

It was strange, she had never been terribly nervous about speaking to girls before, but something about Scylla was...different. She felt completely unapproachable, and Raelle wasn’t going to go against her gut. 

Plus, she didn’t feel like embarrassing herself in front of such a pretty girl. 

“Are you looking for that Ravenclaw girl again?” Abigail’s voice broke her out of her reverie. 

Raelle scowled, looking towards the floor, and Abigail smirked. The three of them were on their way to the Great Hall to have dinner.

“You should go talk to her!” Tally insisted. “You’ve been pining after this girl for more than a year now!”

“I’m not pining!” Raelle exclaimed, clenching her jaw. “I just think she’s cool, okay?” 

“Uh huh,” Abigail said. 

Raelle bristled. “I’m serious.”

Abigail rolled her eyes, taking a seat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. Tally and Raelle sat down beside her, Raelle scowling as she did. 

“Yeah, sure, Raelle,” Abigail said, turning to face her and giving her a flat look. “Whatever you say.” 

“I’m not pining!” Raelle exclaimed a bit too loudly, drawing the attention of many other students. She shrunk slightly in her seat as multiple students turned and gave her questioning looks. “I’m not,” she said quietly, turning to face Abigail. 

Abigail simply raised an eyebrow, blinking and reaching out to grab some food from the center of the table. “Okay, fine,” Abigail said as she filled her plate. “You’re not pining. Besides, you should be focusing on quidditch more than some stupid girl.” 

Raelle sighed a little. Abigail wasn’t wrong. 

“Careful, Collar,” Abigail said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “You get anymore distracted, and Slytherin will end up crushing Hufflepuff at the game tomorrow.” 

Raelle straightened. “Yeah, right,” she responded with a cocky smirk. “You wish, Bellweather.” 

Tally laughed as she placed her arm between her two friends. “Alright, you two,” she said. “Save that fight for the match.” 

Raelle and Abigail gave each other one last look before turning to focus on eating. 

Tally slumped over, dropping her arms and beginning to fill her plate. 

Raelle followed in her stead, reaching forward towards the center of the table. Even as she began to eat and talk more with her friends, there was a part of her head that couldn’t stop thinking about Scylla. 

She glanced around subtly, eyes catching on the lone figure that ate quietly at the Ravenclaw table. 

Raelle was aware that she was beginning to stare, and she forced herself to look away before either Tally or Abigail could notice. 

She didn’t need anymore teasing from them. 

Sighing, she looked down at her plate. Maybe one day, she would get to know Scylla Ramshorn. She could only hope. 

* * *

Scylla Ramshorn was an isolated person. 

Luckily for her, being a Ravenclaw made it very easy to avoid talking to people. She could always leave to go sit in the library, or drone on and on about potions until the person she was speaking to got bored enough. 

She liked it that way. No attachments. It was better for everyone involved. 

Since her parents had died two years ago during her fourth year at Hogwarts, she had struggled to find the motivation to continue with anything. School seemed meaningless, and friendships even more so. 

It was easier to be alone, and she liked it that way. 

Until Raelle Collar.

She didn’t know what it was about that girl that drew her in, but there was definitely something there. Perhaps it was the constant scowl she had on her face despite being a Hufflepuff. Perhaps it was the similar way she tended to isolate herself, with the exception of two close friends. Perhaps it was how good she was at flying, how she seemed to be more at home in the air than on the ground. 

Perhaps it was her secret magical powers. 

Scylla often found herself looking back on that day in potions, the day she had seen Raelle Collar do something...strange.

Brewing Amortentia was no small feat, but Raelle seemed as if she couldn’t care less as she worked on her potion. 

Potions was Scylla’s favorite subject, and fittingly, she was rather skilled at it. So, on that particular day, she had finished earlier than her classmates, and she found herself gazing around the classroom and watching her fellow classmates. 

As she looked around the room, her eyes were drawn towards Raelle Collar, a blonde Hufflepuff with gorgeous blue eyes and a stiff posture. 

Scylla couldn’t place what felt different about this girl, but she couldn’t bring herself to look away as the girl cut her ingredients with skilled fingers. Her hands were purposeful in their movements, her fingers long and deft as they chopped the root. 

Scylla noticed the small silver ring that dwelled on Raelle’s first finger. She was willing to bet that the ring was more than simply a fashion statement, considering the way Raelle seemed to mindlessly twist it when her partner motioned for her to place her ingredients in the cauldron. 

Raelle began to cut more ingredients, and Scylla tore her eyes away as she noted Raelle’s eyes drifting upwards towards her. 

Scylla stirred her cauldron more, sparing a glance at the board to check and see if any extra stirring would affect the potion at all. 

Luckily, it seemed it did not, and Scylla continued to stir the brew until she was confident Raelle wasn’t looking anymore. 

She hesitantly turned back towards the girl, eyes widening when she noticed the blood suddenly pouring from a cut on Raelle’s thumb. 

She could do nothing but watch as Raelle pressed the wound against her robes with a grimace. This caught her partner’s attention, leading to a whispered exchange between the two of them, her partner’s eyes wide and her movements panicked 

And then, Raelle did something strange. 

She wrapped her other hand around her injured thumb, and Scylla watched as she muttered under her breath. 

Scylla couldn’t explain it, but she could  _ feel  _ Raelle’s power from across the room. Her partner glanced around the room nervously, and Scylla quickly looked away, as if she hadn’t been intently watching the scene. 

Glancing back towards the pair, she had to control her shock as she noticed that Raelle’s eyes seemed to glow a bright blue as she whispered. 

And then, as quickly as it began, it was over, and Raelle seemed to be back to normal, holding up an unblemished thumb to show her partner. 

Scylla’s eyes widened, and she turned back towards her cauldron, trying to comprehend what she had seen. Never before had she witnessed magic like that. She’d never even heard of that. The  _ power  _ she had felt radiating from the Hufflepuff… 

She turned back to look at the girl once more, eyebrows furrowed. 

Before she could turn away, Raelle had looked up, meeting her gaze with a pair of wide blue eyes. 

Scylla watched in half-amusement, half-curiosity as Raelle looked back at her, mouth slightly open in shock as they made eye contact. 

Scylla smirked, giving the girl one last look before turning back to her cauldron and beginning to bottle her potion. 

Raelle Collar had a secret, and Scylla Ramshorn was determined to find out what it is. 

Unfortunately, she had made no progress in the year since that class had happened. Whenever she saw Raelle, she was overcome with a feeling of anxiety. 

For lack of a better description, Raelle made her nervous. 

And Scylla wasn’t stupid, or blind. Raelle was incredibly attractive, and Scylla was incredibly attracted to her, if she was being honest. 

Even further, Raelle was an intimidating presence. She only talked to her two friends, never branching out and speaking to others. The most interaction she’s ever seen Raelle have with another student was her scowling at someone after they tried to talk to her after a Defense against the Dark Arts class. Scylla doubted that the Hufflepuff would make an exception for her. 

She resolved to watch from a distance. It was only a matter of time before Raelle let her guard down and used that mysterious magic again. Scylla just had to wait. 

It didn’t hurt that watching Raelle also meant watching her when she played quidditch, or when she spoke to her friends. When she seemed to finally relax and let her guard down a bit.

Scylla told herself it was just an investigation, but, deep down, she knew she was starting to develop a crush on the blonde as she looked on from a distance.

A crush. 

It felt so stupid. She hadn’t had a crush in years. It was childish, and she knew that getting involved with anyone meant that she had to actually open up to them. 

But, damn it, Raelle Collar was really testing her resolve to constantly remain alone. 

Whenever she played quidditch, her entire being seemed to relax. Scylla could see a real smile on her face when she made a good save, or the free look in her eyes when she sped across the pitch during practice. Not that Scylla was watching her while she was practicing. That would be weird. She just happened to be passing by the pitch when she noticed the Hufflepuff team practicing. She couldn't help but notice the girl speeding through the air as she trained.

It wasn’t weird. 

Raelle was just...interesting. 

Okay, it was a little weird. 

But Scylla couldn’t help it. Wherever she went, her eyes were drawn toward a familiar head of blonde hair. She couldn’t help the fondness growing in her chest when she saw Raelle toss her head back in a loud laugh at something that one of her friends said. Raelle’s laugh was loud and melodic, and Scylla felt like she could listen to it for hours. 

Okay, so she totally had a crush. And it was getting rather intense. 

But she knew that Raelle would likely not feel the same way. She was famously cold to those she didn’t know well, and Scylla was presumably no exception. 

Sighing, Scylla resigned herself to quiet longing. It was what she was good at, after all. 

If nothing else, Scylla was thankful that she could watch the quidditch match tomorrow. It was Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff, which meant Raelle would be playing. This meant that Scylla could watch the girl without feeling weird or creepy, since literally everyone else would be watching her as well. 

She was surprised to say that she was pretty excited to watch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quidditch!! (with unexpected violence?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the love! Really enjoyed reading your comments!! Drop me a comment or a kudos if you enjoy this chapter!!

It was storming. 

And it wasn’t just some rain and thunder. It was a full on thunderstorm, complete with raging wind and pelting rain. The thunder was deafening, and Raelle was struggling to keep her broom still as she waited in front of the goals. 

She could barely see the game in front of her, just vague shapes and bursts of yellow and green as the players struggled to take control of the quaffle. 

She jerked her broom to the side just in time to block the quaffle from going into the far goal, slapping the ball back out into the field. 

Raelle couldn’t even hear the cheering of the crowd over the thunderous rain. She fought to keep her eyes open, trying to keep her gaze focused on the match in front of her.

She prayed that the seeker caught the snitch soon. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She was already shivering in her wet uniform, gritting her teeth against the paralyzing cold of the rain. 

Raelle wasn’t even sure who was winning at this point. 

She threw herself to the side in a dangerous maneuver that paid off when she blocked Abigail’s killer shot at the left goal. 

She wobbled dangerously on her broom for a moment, fighting to keep her balance before she eventually straightened out and returned to her post in front of the goals.

Wow, this was terrible. 

Unfortunately, it only got worse. 

Through the rain, Raelle could barely make out her teammates passing the quaffle between themselves, fighting to take a shot at the other side of the pitch. She squinted through the fierce rain, trying to gauge where her teammates were. 

However, she was so focused on the game ahead of her, she failed to notice the bludger careening towards her at an unnatural speed. Just before the bludger was about to hit her, Raelle felt a spontaneous jolt of alarm and fear, glancing to the side and noticing the bludger just in time.

She jerked to the side, just barely missing the bludger hitting her directly in the side. Instead, the ball hit the tail end of her broom, knocking her off balance and off the side. 

Raelle found herself hanging onto her broom with one arm, desperately clinging to the stick and praying that the slick rain wouldn’t make her lose her grip. 

She grunted as she forced her other arm up to grab the broom, trying her best to pull herself back on. She was way too high up. If she fell from this height, she would definitely be in trouble. 

She swallowed, latching her other hand on the broom and groaning as she struggled to pull herself up, fighting against the roaring wind. 

Distantly, she was aware of the students in the stands screaming as she struggled to hold on. Her teammates and the other players were still unaware of her predicament, battling to score a goal on the other side of the pitch. 

Just as Raelle was about to pull herself back on, the same feeling of dread rocked through her once again. Except, this time, Raelle couldn’t go anywhere. 

She was helpless to stop it as the bludger rocketed towards her once again. In a last ditch effort, she let go of the broom with her left hand, jerking to the side in an attempt to dodge the bludger. 

However, the bludger simply curved towards her, and Raelle could only close her eyes and brace for impact before the bludger slammed into her torso. 

Raelle screamed at the collision, feeling her ribs crack as the ball pulled her from the broom completely, leaving her to fall to the ground a hundred feet below. 

Her heart was beating impossibly fast, and the wind roared in her ears as the ground loomed closer and closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, ready to become a pancake on the lawn, but then she felt a weight slam into her just as she was about to slam into the ground. 

“Raelle!” Abigail cried, barely supporting Raelle with one arm as she clumsily steered them to the grass, unused to the extra weight on the broom. Raelle could only groan, the pain in her ribs becoming overpowering. 

Distantly, she was aware she was being laid out on the grass, teachers and players running onto the field to tend to her. 

Involuntary tears filled her eyes as she took a breath, gasping at the sudden pain in her ribs. “Raelle!” Abigail cried again, looking down at her desperately. “You’re gonna be fine, the healers are coming.”

And then hands were all over her, hoisting her up and onto a stretcher. She grimaced as she was laid out on the board and began floating towards the entrance. 

And then, Raelle could feel it. The bludger was back, and it was speeding towards her once again. 

Screams of warning and fear sounded around her, but Raelle simply sat up, propping herself up on her elbow and ignoring how her ribs screamed in protest. 

The bludger rocketed towards her, and Raelle raised her hand towards it. Right as the bludger was about to reach her, Raelle screamed, and the bludger exploded, chunks flying out and onto the grass. 

There was silence as everyone looked at Raelle in shock. 

And then she fainted. 

* * *

Scylla was reeling. 

Raelle had just been floated off into the castle, and the pitch was layered in a shocked silence as everyone began filing behind them.

A cursed bludger. 

Something like that hadn’t happened in years, and it had never been as serious as this. The bludger had clearly been meant to kill Raelle. 

Scylla swallowed. Just thinking about how it had slammed into Raelle--

She shook her head. It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was that Raelle was alright,  and decidedly not dead. That was what mattered. 

But what also mattered was finding out who had the balls to place a deadly curse on a school-issued bludger. And who had the _balls_ to target Raelle of all people.

And Scylla was  _ definitely  _ going to find out who. 

As everyone cleared out of the pitch, Scylla slowly walked down from the stands, taking the large wooden stairwell down to the grass of the quidditch pitch. 

The stadium was empty, now, and Scylla suppressed a shudder as she left the shade of the stands and walked onto the lawn, flinching at how cold and fierce the rain was. The stands had been enchanted to block out any rain or wind so that the students could still watch the game without getting completely drenched.

Scylla longed for the same protection now as she drew up the hood of her cloak, shielding her face from the brutal rain as she started for the ruins of the bludger. 

The broken pieces were scattered haphazardly across the lawn and, luckily, Scylla was able to quickly grab a piece and flee back towards the covered stands. 

She ducked into a corner, bringing the piece closer to her face to examine. Squinting, she noticed the jagged edges were slightly singed, as if they had been burned. Raelle had certainly done a number on the object, and she found herself wondering  _ how  _ the Hufflepuff had done what she did. 

She had sat up from the stretcher as if she could sense the oncoming danger. Scylla could still remember how emotionless her face had seemed when she spied the bludger and calmly reached out her hand. It was a stark difference to the scream of rage and frustration that had actually ended up exploding the bludger as it flew closer and closer to her face. 

There was no doubt about it. Raelle was powerful, and her magic was clearly...different. 

Scylla almost smiled, satisfied that she finally had more evidence about Raelle’s abilities after almost a year of second-guessing herself. 

She  _ almost _ smiled. 

Raelle had still nearly died. 

Scylla sighed, taking her wand from the folds of her cloak. The wand gleamed as the ebony shaft left her pocket. The wand was a decent length, about ten and half inches, with a unicorn tail hair core at its center. 

Scylla gripped the end of the wand, humming at its familiar weight in her grasp. Pointing the end of the wand towards the broken piece of the bludger, Scylla took a deep breath. 

Speaking in a low tone, Scylla willed the bludger reveal its curse and who had placed it. She struggled to continue as the curse seemed to push back against her magic, determined to remain anonymous. 

Scylla frowned and pushed harder, directing all of her magic towards the broken piece resting in her hand. 

For a moment, the bludger remained completely still. Then, at once, it flew into the air, hovering about a foot from her hand. The piece glowed a deep purple before Scylla closed her eyes as she was assaulted by visions. 

Balloons. There were balloons everywhere, and they were filled with evil. Witches and wizards dressed in black attacked muggles, and Scylla’s eyes widened in horror as she watched the very same wizards discussing the fate of a familiar blonde Hufflepuff.

She saw the bludger being cursed by a blonde boy. He promised that it would work, flinching away from his superiors as he left the dark room. 

The boy replaced the school bludger with the cursed one, looking around in fear before fleeing from the room.

And then, as soon as it had started, it was over. The curse shoved Scylla away, throwing her back against the ground with a gasp and a grunt. She could only watch with wide eyes as the purple glow faded and the broken piece fell back towards the ground, the impact against the concrete sounding clear throughout the empty area. 

The bludger lay on the ground, motionless. The only sound that broke the silence was Scylla’s panting breaths. 

This was more serious than she had predicted. It wasn’t some misguided lunatic trying to kill Raelle for a stupid reason. It was a highly powerful and dangerous terrorist organization that had taken to killing muggles as propaganda against the Ministry of Magic. 

The Spree was after Raelle. The only question was  _ why _ ?

* * *

The first thing Raelle was aware of was a low voice coming from her left. 

She released a small groan, forcing her eyes open. She blinked a little at how bright the infirmary seemed.

“Raelle!” came an excited cry from the left. Raelle turned, noticing a flash of red hair as Tally threw herself towards her. 

Raelle could barely breathe with how tight Tally hugged her. 

When she finally pulled away, Raelle blinked a couple times, forcing herself to sit up.

“Oh my god, we were so worried when you fainted,” Tally rambled, eyes wide. “That bludger hit you  _ hard.”  _

Raelle nodded her agreement, glancing around and noticing Abigail standing next to Tally, eyes downcast as Raelle looked at her. 

“Abigail?” she asked, her voice raspy from disuse. “What’s wrong, what happened?” 

Tally turned, confused at what Raelle was talking about. 

“Nothing,” Abigail responded with a small smile. “Just happy you’re okay.” 

Raelle narrowed her eyes, but she nodded. “What exactly happened?” she asked, scratching her head as she stretched her stiff muscles. 

“Well, you were guarding the goal posts while everyone was on the other side of the pitch, and then this bludger comes out of nowhere.” Tally replied. 

“Yeah, I remember now,” Raelle said, furrowing her brows as she began to recall the events of the match. “It hit my broom, right? And I almost fell off.” 

“And then you _did_ fall off after the bludger hit you for real,” Abigail finished. “I barely caught you before you hit the ground. 

Raelle frowned and nodded. “Yeah, thanks, by the way,” she said quietly. 

Abigail shook her head. “How did you do it?” she asked, fixing Raelle with a serious look. 

Raelle glanced up at her. “Do what?” 

Abigail narrowed her eyes. “You completely destroyed that bludger.” she replied. “I didn’t even see you use a wand.” 

Raelle swallowed, casting her eyes to the mattress. “I’m not sure,” she answered after a moment. “I just did.” 

Silence consumed the room. 

“Weirdo,” Abigail said with a raised eyebrow after a few moments of tense quiet. 

And just like that, they were all laughing. 

“Did Hufflepuff win?” Raelle asked after the laughs subsided. 

“Are you serious, Raelle?” Tally asked at the same time that Abigail said, “You broke five ribs!” 

Raelle gave them a sheepish smile, clearly still waiting for their answer. 

Abigail rolled her eyes. “We restarted the match after the rain cleared and the teachers made sure none of the other balls were dangerous. Despite having a subpar keeper in your absence,” she sighed. “Hufflepuff won.” 

“Yes!” Raelle exclaimed, pointing a finger in Abigail’s face. “Take that!” 

Abigail gave her an indignant look. “Hey!” she said. “It’s not my fault I was distracted by you flying off your broom! You were just lucky I saw you falling in time to catch you!” 

Raelle sobered a bit, nodding her head. “That’s fair.” she said. “Thank you for saving me, Abi,” 

Tally looked on with a wide smile as the two of them exchanged nods and looks of respect.    


“Yes!” Tally cried, nearly vibrating with excitement. “My two best friends are best friends with each other!” 

Both Abigail and Raelle looked at her in shock and denial. 

“Absolutely not!” 

“No way!” 

“We’re not even friends!” 

“Definitely not  _ best friends!”  _

Tally crossed her arms. “Whatever you say,” she said disbelievingly. 

They spoke for a bit longer, and by the time the healer finally kicked Abigail and Tally out, nagging about Raelle needing rest, the Hufflepuff was in a significantly better mood.

She found herself thinking about the events of the match. It had been a rather weird day, considering she had broken five of her ribs and fallen off her broom in the space of fifteen minutes. 

At least Hufflepuff won. 

She spent a restless night in the infirmary, struggling to find sleep for many hours before she was finally able to drift off. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scylla has a heated exchange with a professor, and she finally gets the chance to talk to Raelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop me a comment or kudos if you enjoy!

“Professor Anacostia, I need to talk to you,” Scylla asked the professor, barely catching her as she left her office. 

“Miss Ramshorn, please,” Anacostia said dismissively. “I’m rather busy right now, could this wait-” 

“No,” Scylla said, her tone causing Anacostia to stop and look at her with narrowed eyes. “It’s about the attack at the quidditch match.”

Anacostia looked at her for a moment before motioning back towards her office. “Come on in.” 

They walked into the office and Scylla immediately began to speak. “I picked up a piece of the bludger, the cursed one, and I saw who did it.” she said. “The curse was really powerful and it seemed malevolent.” 

“I’m sorry, Miss Ramshorn,” Anacostia said, her hand raised. “You said you saw who did it? How did you do such a thing?” 

Scylla swallowed, beginning to pace across the office. “I grabbed the bludger and cast a spell to see who had placed the curse on it” 

Anacostia furrowed her brows. “Are you aware that we had professors do the same thing and they were unable to see anything?” she replied. “The curse was too strong.” 

Scylla turned to face her, her expression unchanging. “I was able to see who did it before the curse pushed me out.” 

Anacostia shook her head. “That’s impossible,” she said. “That would require an immense amount of power, and from a sixth year student, no less? Very experienced and powerful witches were unable to see through the curse, Scylla.” 

“Listen to me!” Scylla said, eyes wide. “I saw who did it!” 

Anacostia sighed, nodding for her to continue. 

“It was the Spree,” Scylla said after a moment of hesitation. “There was a blonde boy who replaced the normal bludger with the cursed one.” 

Anacostia blinked, shaking her head. “That’s impossible.” she replied in a certain voice. “The Spree have always been unable to infiltrate Hogwarts, our defenses are too powerful.” 

“The boy must be a student here!” Scylla exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “I know what I saw.” 

Anacostia sighed. “Scylla, I understand looking for answers is a normal response in these types of situations, but-” 

“Ugh, you’re not listening!” Scylla cried, her hands running through her hair. “Don’t you get it? Raelle is in danger!” 

Anacostia simply shook her head. “I assure you, Raelle is completely safe where she is-” 

“Oh yeah?” Scylla laughed humorlessly. “What just happened to her, again?” 

Anacostia frowned. “Quidditch is a dangerous game even on the best days.” she said calmly. “There’s no reason to believe the Spree was involved.” 

“I saw them!” Scylla cried. “They’re after her, I saw it!” 

Anacostia sighed, fixing her with a doubtful look. “Why would the Spree be after a sixth year Hogwarts student?” 

Scylla hesitated. “You saw what she did to the bludger.” she answered. “She didn’t even use her wand.” 

Anacostia seemed to stiffen.

“You know I’m right, professor.” Scylla said, shaking her head. “The Spree have infiltrated Hogwarts, and they’re after Raelle.”

Anacostia sighed. “Thank you for telling me your suspicions, Scylla.” she said, sounding weary. “I’ll talk to the other professors about it, but you have to understand that it’s hard to believe a sixth year student was able to succeed where witches and wizards with many years of experience failed.” 

Scylla releases a long breath, frustrated. “Believe what you want, professor.” she said. “I know what I saw.” 

With that, she left the office, trembling with rage. 

The threat of the Spree was being willfully ignored, and it was just putting Raelle in more danger! Scylla was seething. These stupid professors were so high and mighty, they were unwilling to accept that something suspicious might be happening under their noses. 

And Anacostia clearly didn’t believe her.

Scylal scowled, letting her feet carry her through the castle as her mind was consumed with anger. 

It was on their heads if anything happened to Raelle. They aren’t acknowledging the threat, and it infuriated Scylla to no end. 

They couldn’t just keep referring to Hogwarts’ 'impenetrable defenses’ as an excuse to ignore the danger the students were in. 

Scylla sighed. The one time she tries to speak up, and it ends like this. 

This almost made her wish she had someone to talk to, if just to tell  _ someone  _ what was happening. What had already happened. 

Before she knew it, she had stopped in front of a pair of gigantic wooden doors. Scylla furrowed her brows, glancing around. 

She blanched when she realized that she was facing the massive doors of the infirmary, having instinctively gone to talk to Raelle. 

Scylla swallowed. She couldn’t just go in. Her and Raelle weren’t friends. They weren’t anything. What would she even say? ‘Hey, so sorry to hear about the whole bludger accident, heard you almost ended up dying! That’s crazy, yeah. By the way, the Spree is apparently trying to kill you?’

Yeah, this definitely wasn’t happening. 

Right as she was about to turn around, she heard a sound coming from inside. Before she could run, the massive doors were swinging open and Scylla found herself face-to-face with the healer. 

“Oh!” the healer said, having almost run into Scylla as she stood in front of the door. “Are you here to see the Collar girl?” 

She spoke loudly, and Scylla winced. She held up her hands, shaking her head as the woman looked at her. “No, I was just--she needs rest, I’ll just go-” 

Before she could turn and walk away, the healer was already pushing her towards the doorway. “Nonsense,” the woman said, shaking her head. “Collar can take visitors now, she’s had a good night of rest. Plus, I need someone to watch her while I go get some things from the potions room.” 

Scylla could only watch helplessly as the woman waved, walking out of the infirmary and closing the door behind her, leaving Scylla staring at the inside of the massive doors. 

Staring at the wood in shock, Scylla stayed still, scared to turn. 

“Scylla?” a raspy voice came from behind her. 

Scylla’s eyes widened, and she winced before turning towards the voice with a forced smile. “Hi, Raelle,” she said, giving the girl a small wave.  _ Raelle knew her name? _

Scylla ignored her anxiety as the girl gave her a confused look. “You know my name?” she asked. Scylla could have imagined it, but she thought she heard a hint of surprised pleasure in her tone. 

“Of course,” Scylla said, turning on the charm and trying her best to appear confident. “You’re a pretty legendary keeper, the best in a while from what I’ve heard.”

Raelle seemed to slump. “Oh yeah,” she said. “Quidditch. Totally.” 

Scylla quirked her head at the change in her attitude. She approached the side of the bed with a small smile. “So, you know my name, too?”

Scylla fought to keep a huge smile off her face as Raelle blushed, becoming flustered. “Uh, yeah,” she said quickly, clearing her throat. “We were in the same potions class last year. Slughorn loved you so much it was hard to not notice you.” 

Scylla nodded, pulling up a chair and taking a seat next to the bed. 

Raelle glanced over at her. “So what  _ are  _ you doing here?” she asked. “No that I don’t want you here or anything, I’m super pumped you came, I just-” 

Scylla held up her hand, interrupting Raelle before she could begin rambling. “I guess I just wanted to see if you were okay,” she replied in a soft voice, praying that Raelle wouldn’t pick up on her anxiety. 

Raelle shrugged. “I’m fine.” she said, giving Scylla a soft smile. “Fixing broken bones is pretty simple, the healer just wants me to stay so I don’t ‘overexert myself,’ whatever that means.” 

Scylla raised her eyebrows. 

“Okay, so I tend to get injured a lot, so what?” Raelle said indignantly. “That doesn’t mean I just run headfirst into danger.” 

Scylla raised her eyebrows higher. 

“Okay, this time wasn’t my fault!” Raelle insisted. 

Scylla laughed, and Raelle promptly joined her, finding the girl’s laugh infectious. However, Scylla abruptly sobered when she was reminded of the bludger incident, remembering why she had come in the first place. 

Raelle noticed her change in attitude almost immediately, her laughter fading and her expression becoming concerned. “Wait, what's wrong?” 

Scylla shook her head. “Listen, I know we don’t know each other too well,” she said quietly. “But I was just worried after the whole bludger incident.” 

Raelle nodded, her brows furrowed. 

“I, uh,” she swallowed. “I picked up a piece of the cursed bludger to see who, uh, tired to kill you and everything,” 

Raelle’s eyes widened. 

Scylla looked up, expression uncertain, as if afraid of Raelle’s reaction. “I saw the Spree cursing the bludger and sending someone to switch it with the regular one.”

Raelle blinked. “The Spree?” she asked incredulously. 

Scylla nodded. “The Spree.” she confirmed. “They’re after you, Raelle.” 

Raelle swallowed. “No,” she said quietly, shaking her head. “Why would they be after  _ me?” _

Scylla sighed. “I don’t know.” 

“No,” Raelle said, sitting up a bit straighter. “You’re wrong, the Spree can’t be--they’re gone. They’ve been gone for almost a year now. Since their last attack.” 

Scylla shook her head. “I don’t know, Raelle,” she replied. “But I know what I saw. I hope you can believe me.” 

Raelle ran a hand through her hair, looking at the far wall of the infirmary. Scylla only watched in uncertain silence as various emotions passed across Raelle’s face. 

“You know,” Raelle said suddenly. “My mom died in that last Spree attack. She was killed when she tried to heal injured muggles.” 

Scylla swallowed. “I-I heard.” she said quietly. “I’m sorry.” 

Raelle shook her head with a bitter smile. “I thought they were gone.” she said. “But apparently, taking my mother from me wasn’t enough.”

Scylla reached out her hand, gripping Raelle’s shoulder in reassurance. “I get it.” she said quietly. “My parents died two years ago.” 

Raelle glanced towards her, noticing the hand on her shoulder. She sighed at Scylla’s confession, reaching her hand up to grip Scylla’s. 

“This might be weird to say,” Raelle said, not looking at Scylla. “But it feels like I’ve known you a lot longer than I have.” 

Scylla squeezed her shoulder tighter, nodding. “Yeah,” she said simply. “Since that day in potions.” 

Raelle turned towards her. “You remember?” she asked.

Scylla nodded. “Of course.” she replied with a smile. “You were a cute Hufflepuff who used crazy magic. How could I forget?” 

Raelle’s cheek flushed. “You saw?” she asked.

Scylla nodded again. “That healing thing you did?” she said. “That was super cool, I have to say.” 

Raelle hesitated a moment before chuckling. “No one was supposed to see that.” she admitted. 

Scylla shrugged. 

Raelle looked at her with narrowed eyes. “So you don’t think I’m a freak or anything?” she asked suspiciously. 

Scylla laughed a little, meeting eyes with Raelle. “If anything, I think it makes you even more attractive.” she admitted. She kept her face impassive, even as her heart was about to beat out of her chest.

Raelle’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing a bright red. She blinked a couple time, her eyes drifting towards Scylla’s lips for a moment before rapidly looking back into her eyes. 

Scylla kept her gaze focused on Raelle’s blue eyes as she bit her bottom lip. 

Raelle swallowed. “Hey, Scylla?” she said quietly, glancing once again towards her lips.

“Yeah?” Scylla responded, leaning a bit closer. 

“I think I’m going to kiss you,” she said, moving towards the Ravenclaw. 

Scylla hummed, closing her eyes as her hand crept towards the back of Raelle’s neck, pulling her into a warm kiss.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Raelle could hear her heart at this point, considering how fast it was beating. As they kissed, Scylla couldn’t help but move closer, melting into Raelle’s touch as the girl’s hands moved to the side of her face, cupping her cheek. 

They separated after a moment, both breathing heavily. Their eyes met, and Scylla swore she could get lost in those blue eyes. 

Raelle looked back up at her, her mouth slightly parted and eyes glazed over. 

“You’re incredible.” she said quietly. 

Scylla swallowed, nodding slightly. “You too.” she replied, still caught up in those  _ eyes. _

“I think we should kiss again,” Raelle said quickly, already leaning in. 

Scylla nodded in agreement, closing her eyes as they drifted closer. 

Just as their lips were going to meet, the sound of a throat clearing distracted them. 

They both turned, eyes wide, only to find Tally and Abigail standing in front of the door, holding flowers and candy.

Scylla swallowed as Abigail fixed her with a hard glare and Tally coughed a bit, giving them a small smile. “We brought candy?” Tally said weakly, holding up the chocolate frogs and jelly beans clutched in both hands. 

“It looks like we have a lot to talk about,” Abigail said with narrowed eyes. 

Raelle sat up a bit straighter. “No, no, no need for that,” she insisted weakly. “Thank you for coming to see me, Scylla,” she turned to Scylla with wide eyes, jerking her head to the door with a face that said ‘get out while you still can.’ 

Scylla turned to the pair with a forced smile. “Nice to meet you two, I think I’ll just be going-” 

“Oh no.” Abigail interrupted, already pulling up two chairs for her and Tally. “I think you should stay. I want to know what’s going on  _ here.”  _ She motioned between Raelle and Scylla.

“C’mon Abigail, it’s not that big of a deal-” Raelle started, fixing her with a warning look. 

“Oh, it’s not a big deal that you just kissed the Ravenclaw you’ve had a crush on  _ forever-” _

Abigail!” Raelle immediately interrupted, her face a bright red. 

Scylla smiled, her face lighting up. “ _ Forever,  _ you say?” she asked, turning to Raelle with raised eyebrows. 

Raelle wished the ground would swallow her. 

Tally cleared her throat. “So, does anyone want a chocolate frog-” 

“So why did you come and visit our friend here,  _ Scylla?”  _ Abigail asked, her eyes narrowed at the Ravenclaw. “What are your intentions?” 

Raelle shoved her face into her hands. “Kill me now.” 

Scylla returned Abigail’s gaze with an unflinching stare of her own. “I just wanted to see if Raelle was okay. That bludger hit her pretty hard.” 

Abigail looked at her in suspicion. “A likely story.” she said after a moment. “Why are you really here, Ramshorn?” 

Raelle looked up at her, clearly angry. “Abigail, c’mon, that’s enough-” 

Scylla raised her hand, glancing over at Raelle. “That’s okay, Raelle.” she said. “Would you like me to tell them?” 

Raelle sighed, glancing between Tally and Abigail’s confused faces. Finally she nodded, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah, go ahead.” 

“Tell us what?” Tally said, narrowing her eyes at Raelle. “What’s going on?” 

The mood in the room got a bit more tense as Scylla began to explain why she had really come. She told them about the Spree and the bludger, and how the Spree had likely already infiltrated Hogwarts. 

“You said it was a blonde boy?” Abigail said after Tally and her had taken a moment to comprehend. 

“Yes,” Scylla confirmed. “I couldn’t see his face, but he had short blonde hair.” 

Abigail nodded, looking at the ground as she thought. “That fits the description of a couple boys that go here.” she said with a sigh. “We’ll just have to try and narrow it down as we go along.”

Raelle narrowed her eyes. “‘As we go along?’” she asked incredulously. “You seriously can’t be suggesting-” 

“That we try to find this bastard ourselves?” Abigail finished with a determined look. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” 

Tally glanced over at Abigail, her expression uncertain. “I don’t know, Abigail, it could be dangerous, if it really is the Spree-” 

“I know that.” Abigail said. “But we can’t just leave it alone. You heard what Scylla said. The professors don’t believe her, and they refuse to look further into the threat.” 

Tally swallowed. 

“Look, maybe it’s not real and Scylla didn’t actually see the Spree,” Abigail continued

“I did!” Scylla protested. 

“I know, Scylla,” Abigail said with a glare. “But even if you didn’t, it doesn’t hurt to investigate. If there’s a real threat, we can’t afford to leave Raelle completely defenseless.”

Tally sighed, nodding. 

Raelle still seemed uncertain. “I don’t know about this, Abigail.” she said. “If it is the Spree and we go poking around in things we shouldn’t…” she trailed off, but the implication was clear. 

“We’re just going to have to take that risk.” Abigail said. “I’m not just going to leave you to the Spree, Raelle. Even if you and I aren’t friends.” 

Raelle laughed a little. “Right.” she said with a sigh. “Okay, we’ll investigate a little.” she conceded. “But if we even see a  _ hint  _ of real danger, we take it to the professors immediately and leave it to them. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.” 

The group nodded. “Agreed.” Abigail said for everyone.

Silence consumed the room, and Raelle glanced over at Scylla. The Ravenclaw met her eyes with a soft smile, squeezing her shoulder once again in reassurance.

“So, uh,” Tally interrupted hesitantly. “Is anyone going to explain what’s going on  _ here?”  _ She motioned between Raelle and Scylla with a raised eyebrow. 

Raelle stared pointedly at the ground while Abigail nodded. “Yeah, please explain how this happened.” the Slytherin demanded. 

Scylla and Raelle both remained silent, eyes cast downwards. 

“Well, clearly you guys have a lot to discuss.” Tally said after a moment. 

“Clearly.” Abigail said, snorting. 

“We’ll leave you two alone for now,” Tally continued, grabbing Abigail’s arm and pulling her towards the door. 

“Wait, no, Tally,” Abigail whined as she was pulled away. “I want to _hear_ their discussion.” 

Tally ignored her, giving the pair a cheerful wave as she and Abigail left the room. 

Silence consumed the room as the heavy door closed behind them with a note of finality. 

“So…” Scylla said, trailing off a little towards the end. “Those were your friends?” 

Raelle sighed, her head in her hands. “I’m so sorry about them,” she said, her voice slightly muffled. “That was horrible.” 

Scylla chuckled, patting Raelle’s back. “It wasn’t horrible.” she said with a smile. “It was sweet. It’s clear they really care about you.” 

Raelle took a deep breath, sitting up and meeting Scylla’s eyes. “Yeah,” she said, smiling a bit. “Listen, I want to thank you.” 

Scylla raised an eyebrow. 

“For telling me about...everything.” she clarified. “I, uh, really appreciate it.” 

Scylla nodded, giving Raelle a genuine smile. “Of course.” she replied. “If I’m being honest, I was sort of looking for an excuse to talk to you.” 

Raelle’s eyes widened. 

“I almost ran away.” Scylla admitted. “I got to the infirmary, and I almost turned right around and went back to the common room.”

Raelle quirked her head at that. “Why’s that?” 

Scylla ducked her head a bit, a light brush dusting her cheeks. “The truth is,” she admitted quietly. “I’ve kinda been crushing on you for a while now.” 

Scylla still had her eyes cast downwards, and she could only hear Raelle’s sharp intake of breath. Just as she lost her nerve and was about to leave, she felt soft hands cupping her cheeks. 

Raelle’s fingers crept under her chin and tilted Scylla’s head up towards her, forcing their eyes to meet. Scylla’s breath caught as she met Raelle’s gaze, seeing her mouth curl up in a soft smile. 

Without a word, they were leaning in, and as their lips met, Scylla could feel a warm feeling creeping in her chest. 

She melted into Raelle’s touch, bringing her hands up towards Raelle and knitting her fingers in her blonde hair. Raelle moved her hand to the back of Scylla’s neck, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

Before they could keep going, the sound of the door creaking open once again sounded throughout the room. At once, the two separated, breathing heavily and glancing towards the door. 

Scylla inconspicuously wiped her lips as the healer gave them a suspicious look, narrowing her eyes. She laughed a little, noticing Raelle’s clear blush and the way she avoided her eyes. 

“Right,” the healer said, rolling her eyes. “Miss Collar, you should be fine by now, you’re free to go.” 

Raelle cleared her throat, nodding as she pulled the sheet away and began to stand from the bed. Scylla moved around the bed to help her up as she stood, her legs still a bit shaky after not using them for a while. 

They left the infirmary together, Scylla helping Raelle carry her things. Raelle was still in her tattered robes from the quidditch match, and looking down at her clothes, Raelle couldn’t help but cringe. 

Scylla noticed her face and followed her gaze towards her battered robes. They were still covered in mud and a bit of blood from the bludger’s impact.

“Here, I’ll walk you to your dorm and you can change.” Scylla said easily, already walking in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room. 

Raelle narrowed her eyes, following after her and grabbing her hand on instinct. Scylla couldn’t help but smile at Raelle’s hand grasped within her own, and she squeezed the Hufflepuff’s hand as they walked. 

“How do you know which way to go?” Raelle asked as they walked, content to let Scylla lead her through the winding hallways of the castle. 

Scylla shrugged. “I walk around the castle a lot at night.” she replied, swinging a right as they reached an intersection. “I’ve explored basically everywhere.” 

She turned back towards Raelle with a mischievous smile. “I’ll have to show you some of my favorite places at some point.” she said. “Hogwarts is pretty magical at night.” 

Raelle smiled back at her. “You know, I _ have _ snuck out at night before.” she replied, raising her eyebrows. “You’re making it seem a bit more exciting than it is.

Scylla wiggled her eyebrows. “You haven’t snuck out with me before.” 

Raelle rolled her eyes a little as they started up the stairs, holding on a little tighter to each other as the staircase shifted to the opposite side of the castle. “I don’t know if anyone’s told you, but I think you might be a bad influence, Ramshorn.” 

Scylla lifted a hand to her chest in mock offense, gasping dramatically at Raelle as they finally came to a stop in front of the Hufflepuff common room. “How dare you?” she asked. “I’ll have you know I’m an excellent influence.” 

“Uh huh.” Raelle said, rolling her eyes and taking her things from Scylla’s outstretched hands. 

They lingered for a moment longer, getting a little lost in each other’s eyes.

Before Raelle could tear her eyes away, Scylla smirked, leaning in closer. “Meet me outside the Ravenclaw common room at midnight tonight.” 

Raelle smiled. “Wow, already asking me to break curfew?”

Scylla shook her head with a small smile, leaning in to steal a small kiss. “Just meet me there.” she repeated after they had pulled away. “I have something cool to show you.” 

Raelle nodded, waving farewell as Scylla started walking away. 

Smiling to herself, Raelle turned back towards the Hufflepuff entrance, laughing a bit before speaking the password and entering the common room. 

* * *

“You fools!” a woman cried, frustration clear in her tone. “As soon as you got wind of the prophecy, you should’ve informed me directly instead of attempting to take matters into your own hands.” 

The two men cowered before her, flinching a little as she yelled. “We’re sorry, mistress,” one of the men tried. “We just thought that you would have wanted us to deal with something so minor without bothering you-” 

“Fools!” The woman repeated at that. “It’s not as minor as it seems.” 

The men nodded, eyes cast downwards. 

The woman continued, pacing back and forth. “Trying to kill Raelle Collar was a mistake, regardless of whatever she’s supposedly destined to do.” 

“‘Supposedly,’ ma’am?” the other man spoke up, furrowing his brows. “The prophecy was quite clear. Raelle Collar is destined to destroy everything we’ve worked towards.” 

His acquaintance nodded. “She is destined to tear down the Spree as we know it.” 

The woman took a deep breath. “I don’t care,” she said. “Raelle wouldn’t do that if she knew the truth.” 

“Ma’am?” the man asked. “What do you mean?” 

“I  _ mean,”  _ the woman said, turning to face them. “That Raelle wouldn’t kill her own mother. As long as I’m alive, the Spree is alive.” 

The men’s eyes widened. “M-mother?” one of them stuttered. 

The woman fixed him with a sharp glare, silencing him immediately. “Once Raelle realizes what I’m working towards, she’ll come around. As soon as she recognizes that we’re doing good things here, she’ll join us, I don’t care what some stupid prophecy says. She’s my daughter, and she’ll do what I say.” 

“We’re so sorry ma’am, if we had known-” 

“Silence.” Willa Collar demanded. “Bring my daughter to me.  _ Alive. _ It’s time she learns the truth.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff! (And some planning, courtesy of Abigail)

Raelle had missed dinner, but she was pleasantly surprised when Tally met her in the common room with a plate of food and a warm smile. 

Raelle’s hair was still a little wet from her shower and she was dressed in casual joggers and a tank top. While many gave her weird looks due to her clothing, Raelle had always felt more comfortable in her muggle clothes. Robes often seemed to itch and pull when she wore them, as opposed to the sleeveless tank tops she usually wore at home. 

Besides, the clothes reminded her of home, of her father. 

Grabbing the plate from Tally’s outstretched hands, she returned her smile, both of them taking a seat in the far corner of the common room. 

As they ate, Tally and Raelle held a soft conversation, speaking quietly so as not to disturb the silent common room. The fireplace crackled on the other side of the room, and Raelle breathed a sigh of relief at finally leaving the infirmary.

“So, how are you and Scylla?” Tally asked, leaning over conspiratorially and wiggling her eyebrows. 

Raelle rolled her eyes at Tally’s actions, trying her best to suppress the blush that began to dust her cheeks. “It’s,” she said, hesitating as she thought. “It’s good. I like her a lot, and I think she likes me too.” 

“Ooooooh!” Tally squealed, obviously trying hard to contain her excitement. “I’m so happy for you!” 

Raelle laughed at Tally’s reaction. 

“I  _ really  _ like her.” Tally said, her face becoming serious. 

Raelle couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she responded, “Me too, Tal.” 

They laughed a bit more before Tally was interrupted by a yawn. “Aren’t you tired, Raelle?” she asked. “It’s pretty late.” 

Raelle shrugged. “I’ve been in bed nearly all day." she said. "The healer was  _ very  _ insistent that I needed rest.” 

Tally nodded, yawning again as she did. 

“You can go to sleep, Tal,” Raelle said. “I think I’ll stay down here a bit longer.” 

Tally nodded, giving Raelle a hug as she stood from her seat next to Raelle. “I’m really happy you’re alright, Raelle.” she whispered before she pulled away. 

Fixing Raelle with one more reassuring look before she started up the stairs towards the dorms. 

Realle sighed, glancing around the common room. She was a bit surprised to notice that it was completely empty. Cleary, Tally and her had been speaking longer than she had thought. 

Peering across the room to the large clock that hung over the mantle of the fireplace, Raelle was shocked to note that it was already half past eleven. She would be meeting Scylla pretty soon.

She wondered how Scylla would react to her muggle clothes. Not to mention her hair. She usually waited for it to dry before she braided it, and since her hair was still a little damp, she had just opted to leave it down for now. 

Raelle sighed, pushing herself up from her seated position and stretching out her stiff muscles as she stood. The quiet of the common room was comfortable and homely, and yellow and black adorned the walls in various patterns around the room. 

The room itself was welcoming, blankets and throw pillows strewn across fluffy, comfortable couches. Raelle often found herself basking in how warm the room often was, sighing at the calm environment and cozy atmosphere. She grabbed a book from the table, not even glancing at the cover before she had begun to read the first page, taking a seat on the center couch of the room. 

The lights were dimmer at night, and the glowing orbs that floated in the upper part of the common room seemed a bit more dull now. However, Raelle could still see the small words printed on the page, and she continued to mindlessly read, silently willing time to pass a bit faster. 

She was eager to see Scylla again, and she was curious about what the girl was so intent on showing her. 

Glancing at the clock every so often, she nearly leapt to her feet as soon as it hit 11:55. Five minutes gave her plenty of time to cross the castle towards the Ravenclaw entrance, and it even gave her some extra breathing room in case she ran into any patrols or trouble on the way there. 

Raelle took a deep breath, grabbing her hoodie from the table and slipping it on over her tank top. While she would rather go without, she couldn’t deny the chill that she felt as she quietly slipped out of the common room and began creeping through the empty castle. 

Hogwarts really did have a different feeling at night. Raelle’s quiet footsteps echoed through the long, empty hallways as she walked, and she glanced around every so often to check and see if she was about to be caught. 

She drew up the hood on her hoodie, walking a little faster towards the Ravenclaw dorms. 

The walk passed without incident, and, before she knew it, Raelle had already come face to face with the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower. 

Looking around, she took a deep breath before leaning against the wall, resolving to wait for Scylla to join her. 

She didn’t have long to wait before the creak of the door opening sounded throughout the quiet castle. Raelle jerked her head over, taking off her hood and standing a bit straighter.

She relaxed when she peered a pair of familiar blue eyes. Scylla’s eyes crinkled slightly as she gave Raelle a warm smile, and suddenly the castle wasn’t nearly as cold. 

“Hey,” Scylla said, her voice low and a bit raspy. She moved, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. 

“Hey.” Raelle responded, moving towards Scylla with a small smile. “So what is it you wanted to show me?” 

Scylla turned back to her with a teasing smirk. “I guess you’ll have to see.” she said, already reaching out and grabbing Raelle’s hand. 

Raelle scoffed a bit, but she allowed Scylla to pull through the castle, taking comfort in the warmth of Scylla’s hand grasped within her own. They weaved through the castle for a while, and Raelle was becoming increasingly curious as to where exactly they were going. 

“Okay, I’m beginning to think you’re about to murder me.” she said as they ascended yet another secluded set of stairs. 

Scylla looked back at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“That’s not exactly comforting.” Raelle said with a laugh.

“Oh, c’mon, Collar.” Scylla replied. “Live a little.” 

Raelle had no response for that, continuing to follow Scylla’s lead as they crept through the dark castle.

Finally, they came to a stop in the middle of a corridor. Raelle almost ran into Scylla as she stopped suddenly, facing the outside wall of the hallway. 

Raelle furrowed her brows, confused at why they were stopping in front of an empty wall.

Scylla smiled at the wall before turning back to Raelle. “I found this place in my fourth year.” she explained. “I was walking around the castle because I had lost something of mine.” 

Raelle narrowed her eyes. “You found a wall?” she asked, gesturing to the empty wall they were facing. 

Scylla grinned. “Are you sure it’s just a wall, Raelle?” she said, approaching the bricks and reaching out a hand. 

Raelle could only blink in shock as a large pair of wooden doors seemed to appear, taking form against the pale bricks. “I-” she stuttered. “ _ What.”  _

Scylla laughed, grabbing Raelle’s hand and pulling her through the doors. 

Raelle reeled as she took in her surroundings. It seemed to be a living room of sorts, couches and fluffy chairs scattered around the room. There were wooden shelves tucked into the corners, holding all sorts of books and knick knacks. Raelle blinked when she noticed the collection of bones displayed on one of the shelves. 

To the right side, there was a small kitchen, complete with all the necessary appliances and materials. A small table was tucked into the far corner, a few chairs placed around it . 

Raelle narrowed her eyes when she noticed the twin bed pushed against the fair wall, between two of the shelves. It seemed as through it had been recently slept in, black sheets wrinkled and loose. A fireplace crackled in on the left wall, and Raelle took a deep breath as she felt the chill of the castle fade when they entered the room. 

“W-What is this place?” Raelle asked, spinning around as she took in the entire room. It seemed more than just a place to hang out. It seemed... _ lived in.  _

“This,” Scylla said, taking a deep breath. “Is my home away from home.” 

Raelle turned back towards Scylla, her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” she asked, moving closer. “How did you find this place?” 

Scylla smiled. “This is the Room of Requirement.” 

Raelle blinked, clearly unfamiliar with what that was. 

“Basically,” Scylla explained. “If you pass by this room and think about something you’ve lost or something you’re in need of, the room will hear you. It will create a room that meets your needs.” 

Raelle nodded, her mouth slightly agape as she glanced around the room once more, starting to understand. 

Scylla sighed. “I found this in my fourth year,” she repeated. “Shortly after my parents were killed.” 

Raelle whipped her head around, sobering as Scylla continued. 

“I, uh, was in some desperate need of comfort, I guess.” she said quietly. “I didn’t like being in the common room with the other Ravenclaws, and every time I walked around the castle, everyone kept staring at me like I was going to have a breakdown at any moment.”

Raelle moved closer, taking her hand and squeezing. 

Scylla swallowed. “I guess the room knew that I was struggling, and it made a little home for me right here.” she said, gesturing around the room. “This place...it’s really special to me.” 

Raelle smiled. “Thank you for showing me.” she replied. 

Scylla nodded, jerking her head towards the couch. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s sit.” 

Raelle followed her to the couch, taking a seat next to her and nearly sinking into the cushion. Smiling, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss against Scylla’s lips.

Scylla leaned in, deepening the kiss and releasing a soft sigh as they separated. 

They sat and talked for hours, taking pleasure in each other’s company until the early hours of the morning. 

Around five in the morning, Raelle’s eyes finally began to droop, and she was asleep within the next fifteen minutes, collapsed on the couch and leaning heavily on Scylla’s shoulder.

Barely able to keep her own eyes open, Scylla smiled at the sight of Raelle passed out on her shoulder, messily sprawled across the couch. 

Shaking her head, she carefully removed herself from under Raelle, ignoring her slight moan of protest at the lack of contact. 

She easily snaked her arms under Raelle and lifted her from the couch, careful not to jostle her too much and wake her up. Without much struggle (seriously, Raelle was a little too light), Scylla carried the Hufflepuff over to the bed, laying her down on the soft mattress and pulling the sheets over her. 

She felt one last smile spread across her face as she noticed the relaxed and content look that Raelle had adopted, melting into the comfortable mattress. Unable to resist, Scylla placed a soft kiss on the girl’s forehead before quietly retreating back towards the couch. 

The fire burning in the fireplace had been reduced to smoldering embers, and Scylla shivered a bit. Moving to grab a blanket, she hesitated as she noticed the black hoodie draped over the armrest of the couch. 

With a small smile, Scylla grabbed the soft fabric, slipping the sweatshirt on and sighing as the warmth of the fabric chased away the chill in the air. 

Grabbing the soft blanket from the chair across from the sofa, Scylla collapsed across the couch, taking a deep breath as her eyes began to close. 

She hugged the hoodie a little closer, taking comfort in the familiar scent, and a content smile spread across her face as she drifted to sleep. 

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the cozy room, and Raelle blinked as a particularly bright ray rested on her eyes. 

Squinting and lifting a hand to shade her face, Raelle shook her head slightly as she sat up from the unfamiliar twin bed. 

The smell of cooking eggs filled the air and Raelle could barely keep her mouth from watering as she followed the smell, turning towards the kitchen located in the corner of the room. 

Scylla was leaned over a small pan, dressed in only a pair of sleep shorts and a baggy hoodie. Raelle couldn’t tear her eyes away. There was something so captivating about Scylla standing so openly, stirring a pan of scrambled eggs, and wearing  _ her  _ hoodie. She was beautiful. 

She blinked a little as Scylla seemed to notice eyes on her, glancing up and giving Raelle a warm smile as their gazes met. “Hey, you finally woke up.” she said, turning off the burner and turning to pile the eggs onto a plate. “I thought we could have some breakfast together since there’s no classes today.” 

Raelle nodded, pointedly not admitting that she had absolutely forgotten about her classes all together. 

She lifted herself from the bed, groaning as she stretched her stiff muscles. “What time is it?” she asked, moving towards the kitchen where Scylla was now grabbing some plates and separating the eggs. 

Scylla hummed. “Around ten o’clock.” she replied. “I took the liberty of raiding the kitchen before you woke up.”

Raelle sighed, creeping behind the Ravenclaw and snaking her arms around the girl’s middle, giving her a hug from behind as she poured two glasses of water. 

Resting her head on Scylla’s shoulder, Raelle closed her eyes in satisfaction. “That was the best night of sleep I’ve had in awhile.” she admitted quietly. 

Scylla squeezed her hands in acknowledgement, turning and presenting Raelle with a plate of scrambled eggs and sliced strawberries. “Breakfast?” she asked, raising her eyebrows as she smiled. 

Raelle returned an easy smile, taking her plate from Scylla and moving towards the table. 

They ate breakfast together, enjoying the simplicity of the morning and basking in the feeling of having no responsibility. 

“Hey, so,” Raelle brought up after they had finished laughing about a dumb joke Scylla had heard. “The Hogsmeade trip is in a few days.” 

Scylla looked up at her. “Mhm,” she hummed, grabbing a strawberry with her fingers and lifting it to her lips. 

“I was just thinking,” Raelle said, a hand creeping towards the back of her neck as she continued. “We could go together? I mean, Abigail and Tally will probably be there too, but I just think it would be really cool if you went with us, it’s no big deal if you don’t want to, you know, just asking-” 

“Raelle,” Scylla interrupted with a smile. Raelle blushed a bit, embarrassed at how she had rambled. “Of course I want to go with you.”

Raelle released a sigh of relief, giving the Ravenclaw a sheepish look. “Sorry about the rambling,” she said. “I don’t usually get this nervous around girls, but I really like you.” 

Scylla blushed a little, raising an eyebrow. “Well, I would hope so,” she replied teasingly. Raelle didn’t respond, only flashing her a winning smile before she pushed herself from her seat, grabbing the dishes from the table and walking them over to the sink. 

Mindlessly washing off the plates, Raelle found herself thinking. So much had happened in just a few short days. She had almost  _ died  _ two days ago. 

And she had actually met Scylla Ramshorn. The girl she had been pining over for nearly a year. And she was gorgeous, and sweet, and charming, and amazing. Everything Raelle thought she would be and more.

Raelle smiled to herself, drying off the plates with a dish towel and gently placing them back in the cabinets. 

Raelle sighed when Scylla’s arms wrapped around her middle and the Ravenclaw leaned into her. “Thanks for doing that.” she muttered quietly, resting her chin on Raelle’s shoulder, just as Raelle had done earlier.

Raelle leaned back into her, resting her own hands against Scylla’s as she did. “Of course,” she replied, equally as soft. “Thanks for breakfast.” 

With that, Scylla gave her a small grin, pulling back and turning Raelle to face her. “I think,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. “That we should spend the day together.” 

Raelle replied with a smile of her own, narrowing her eyes. “What are you suggesting?” she asked. “Anything specific?”

Scylla smirked. “I have a couple ideas in mind.” 

* * *

“You know, when you were being all flirty before, I wasn’t expecting you to drag me into the forbidden forest to look for something dead.” 

Scylla ignored her, continuing to scan the dirt for what she was looking for. 

“Oh, Raelle,” Raelle said, adopting a mocking tone as she followed. “You’re so dreamy! Let’s spend the day together! Come with me to look for a dead bird.”

“Shush.” Scylla responded, giving her a glare as she turned around, but Raelle could still see the amusement sparking in her eyes. 

“Okay, but after this-” 

“Yes,” Scylla interrupted, sounding exasperated. “We can do something else.” 

Raelle smiled at her, moving in to place a light kiss on her lips. 

Scylla looked up at Raelle, her gaze genuine. “I want to show you something beautiful.” 

Raelle kept the smile on her face, but her eyes shone with curiosity. 

They separated as Scylla continued in her search, and Raelle was helpless to do anything but shrug and follow her, eyes scanning the ground as they walked.

“Here we go,” Scylla said suddenly, moving towards the base of a large tree. Raelle raised an eyebrow as she leaned down beside a dead bird. 

“What’re you-” 

“Shush.” Scylla said again, effectively silencing Raelle as she looked on in curiosity. 

Scylla reached in the folds of her cloak for her wand, retrieving it and pointing the tip at the still body of the bird. Raelle watched as Scylla’s face seemed to scrunch slightly as she focused, and small tendrils of green-yellow light flowed from the tip of the wand. 

Her eyes widened as the bird seemed to  _ sprout _ , the skinny stalk of a mushroom rising from it’s small chest. A sphere formed at the end of the stem, different from the mushroom top Raelle had expected. 

Scylla pulled back her wand, once again returning it to her cloak pocket before she reached out for the mushroom stalk. 

As soon as she touched it, the sphere at the end seemed to disintegrate, leaving particles to float in the air where it had once been. Raelle watched with a furrowed brow as Scylla nonchalantly licked the tip of her finger, smiling at the taste of the mushroom particles. 

“It’s called a death cap." Scylla said. 

Raelle gave her a confused look.

"Death isn’t as black and white as people think,” Scylla explained, breaking the silence of the woods around them. “It’s more of a cycle. Life becomes death, which becomes life again. Mushrooms are proof of that.” 

She gestured to the stem protruding from the bird’s chest.

Raelle seemed to droop a little. “My mother is really dead.” she replied, her voice quiet and sad. 

Scylla sighed. “I know it’s a sensitive subject,” she said, reaching an arm out to grip Raelle’s bicep. “But death isn’t the end, Raelle. It’s simply a new beginning.” 

She took one more taste of the death cap before facing Raelle once again. 

The Hufflepuff’s eyes were slightly glazed over as she looked at Scylla in awe. “You’re so beautiful.” she whispered, leaning towards her. Scylla smiled slightly before melting into the kiss, reaching a hand up to cup Raelle’s cheek. 

They kissed for a bit longer before Raelle finally pulled away, her eyes still shining and her mouth slightly agape.

Scylla stood, brushing herself off as she did. “C’mon,” she said. “I listened to you complain for a while, now it’s your turn.” 

Raelle took her hand, pulling against it as she lifted herself from where she had been kneeling in the dirt.

Scylla grinned at her. “What do  _ you  _ want to do?” 

* * *

“Raelle, are you sure this is a good idea?” Scylla asked hesitantly. 

“I’m almost 85% sure that this is a  _ terrible  _ idea.” Raelle answered with a grin. 

“Wait,  _ what-”  _

Scylla was abruptly cut off by the roaring wind in her ears, taking her breath away and making her gasp. She held onto Raelle for dear life, tucking her head into Raelle’s shoulder as they took off. 

Raelle steered the broom with expert precision, slowing down enough that Scylla gathered the courage to lift her head from its position pressed against Raelle’s back. She released a shaky sigh as she glanced around, pointedly  _ not  _ looking down as they drifted across the quidditch pitch. 

“You still good back there?” Raelle asked, turning her head towards Scylla and flashing her a winning smile. 

“Define good.” Scylla replied, squeezing Raelle a bit tighter as she steered the broom through a turn. 

“Uh,” Raelle said. “Are you having fun?” 

Scylla thought about it. Was she having fun? As scary as it was being up so high, the wind brushing lightly against her face and the close proximity to Raelle almost made it worth it. Not to mention getting to see how good Raelle was at flying first hand. 

“Yeah.” Scylla answered after a moment. “Yeah, I think I am having fun.” 

Raelle grinned. “Good.” 

Scylla laughed a little as Raelle pushed the broom faster, taking another lap around the pitch. “I bet you do this with all the girls you meet.” Scylla yelled against the wind.

Raelle’s body shook with laughs as she listened to Scylla. “Bold of you to assume that I care about any girls other than you.” she replied, turning just enough to wink at her. 

Scylla finally felt secure enough on the broom to lift an arm and give Raelle a playful slap. “Stop it,” she demanded. “That was so cheesy!” 

Raelle laughed again, seemingly unaffected. “What can I say? You bring out the worst in me, Ramshorn.” 

Scylla rolled her eyes, leaning further into Raelle as they flew, taking comfort in the girl’s warmth as the cool wind whipped around her. 

They flew around the pitch for a while longer, both of them simply enjoying in each other’s presence. 

When they finally landed on the lawn, Scylla couldn’t help herself, planting a passionate kiss against Raelle’s lips as soon as they dismounted the broom. 

“What was that for?” Raelle asked, breathing a little heavier as they separated. 

Scylla shrugged, lost in Raelle’s eyes. “You’re just amazing.” 

Raelle smiled, all teeth, before she wrapped an arm around Scylla’s shoulder and began to walk back towards the castle. 

* * *

That night, Scylla sat with Raelle and her friends during their meal. All crowded together at the far end of the Hufflepuff table, they leaned in and quietly discussed their circumstances. 

“So, what do we know?” Abigail asked, ever the planner.

“Well, we know that the Spree is after Raelle for some reason.” Tally answered, an uncertain look crossing her face. 

“We know that someone in the castle is working for the Spree and switched out the bludgers.” Raelle continued. 

“And we know that whatever the Spree is planning, it isn’t good.” Scylla finished, her tone one of finalty.

Everyone seemed to slump the more they thought about it. 

“Okay,” Abigail said suddenly. “So, we definitely need more info if we’re going to stand a chance.” 

Everyone nodded. 

“First order of business,” she continued, taking a deep breath as she seemed to consider. “We need to find the traitor in our midst. Right now, all we know is that it’s a guy with short blonde hair. That doesn’t exactly narrow it down much, but it’s all we’ve got.” 

“Oh,” Scylla interrupted, a finger raised in the air. “His hair was pretty curly. Sorry, just remembered.” 

Abigail gave her a flat look, sighing before addressing everyone once again. “Okay, short, blonde,  _ curly  _ hair. Me, Tally, and Scylla will work on that front.” 

“What about me?” Raelle asked, brows furrowed. 

“ _ You’re  _ in charge of finding out why the Spree is after you in the first place.” Abigail replied bluntly. “And I’m willing to bet it has something to do with those weird powers of yours.” 

Raelle seemed to shrink a little in her seat. 

Abigail’s eyes softened at Raelle’s hesitant look. “Listen, I know you don’t like using it, or calling attention to it, or whatever, but honestly? You’re going to have to embrace those powers before this is over.” 

Raelle swallowed. “Where would I even start?” she asked. “I don’t know where these abilities came from, and even if I did, how would it help me figure out what the Spree is planning?” 

Abigail seemed stumped at that. 

Everyone remained silent before Tally interrupted the quiet. “You should start with Anacostia,” she said, looking towards Raelle. “She’s the one who told you not to reveal your abilities in the first place.” 

Raelle sighed, pushing around her food as she thought about it. “Yeah, I guess-” 

Tally continued as if Raelle hadn’t spoken. “She’s the only one who would know anything.” 

Abigail nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” she said, turning towards the group. “So Raelle learns more about her powers and hopefully the Spree in the process, and everyone else tries to find the intruder. Sound good?” 

Everyone nodded, but Scylla noticed Raelle’s visible hesitation. Swallowing, Scylla cleared her throat. “Actually, I was hoping I could help Raelle out?” she asked. 

Raelle whipped her head towards Scylla, and suddenly, Scylla felt out of her depth. 

“I just mean, it might be hard to do all that alone, and I’m sure you and Tally are very capable-” 

Abigail rolled her eyes, waving her hand at Scylla dismissively. “Yeah, fine, you can help out your girlfriend,” she said, ignoring the hot blush that painted both Raelle and Scylla’s face as she spoke. “But make sure you actually find real information and don’t get distracted trying to bone each other.” 

Raelle choked on the water she had been drinking, and it took several minutes for her to stop coughing, her face a bright pink after the ordeal. Scylla rubbed her back as Raelle recovered, struggling to contain her own laughter as Abigail and Tally cracked up. 

Scylla’s own cheeks were dusted pink at Abigail’s blunt statement, and she couldn’t blame Raelle for choking. She probably would have done the same, if she was being honest.

“We’ve got it.” Scylla finally said after Raelle had finished coughing and her gaze was steadfastly focused on her food. 

Abigail rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Ramshorn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, drop me a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle has an enlightening discussion with Anacostia, and the girls go to Hogsmeade

Raelle went to talk to Anacostia the next morning. 

The woman was sitting at her desk, peering down at a number of long sheets of parchment, occasionally pausing to write down a quick note or check the large textbook beside her. 

Raelle, not wanting to interrupt but also not wanting to stand there and be creepy, settled on clearing her throat quietly, hesitantly stepping into the room. 

Anacostia jerked her head up, her eyebrows raised as she watched Raelle approach. “Collar,” she addressed, setting down her quill and turning her full attention to the Hufflepuff. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your weekend?” 

Raelle shrugged, finally reaching the Professor’s desk and scratching the back of her neck, feeling a bit awkward. “I, uh,” she stumbled. “I wanted to ask you more about what you told me a year ago. About my...abilities, or whatever.” 

Anacostia fixed her with a hard look. “What about them?” she asked, her voice sharp. “Nothing has changed. You are not to reveal your abilities to anyone.” 

Raelle nodded, glancing downward at Anacostia’s intense gaze. “I know, Professor.” she replied. “I was just wondering what they were? Why do I have these abilities?” 

Anacostia seemed to hesitate at that. She sighed, glancing down at the papers beneath her. “I don’t know what they are, exactly.” she admitted. “I just know that you’re powerful, Collar. Even if you don’t realize it.” 

Raelle furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

Anacostia looked back up at her. “I mean that you have abilities that the wizarding world hasn’t seen in many years. Abilities that people would kill for. Would kill  _ you _ for.” 

Raelle swallowed. “That’s why you didn’t want me to use them?” she asked quietly. “So no one would know?” 

Anacostia nodded. 

Raelle sighed, thinking back to the events of last year. 

Her mother had just died, and Raelle had been struggling. It was no mystery to her friends that she was having a rough time, and they gave her plenty of space, though they made sure she knew that they were there for her, should she need it. 

She was grateful, but she just wanted to be alone. 

She found herself alone in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom one day, everyone having left the room after class was dismissed. Yet, Raelle couldn’t seem to pick herself up off the chair. 

She was spiraling, and she knew it. They had discussed the Spree in class today, and even the mention of its existence shook Raelle to her core. Her mother was gone because of the Spree. Because of their attacks. Because of some stupid idea that they were liberating the wizarding world from the Ministry of Magic. 

Even thinking about it, Raelle was beginning to get angry. 

There was a familiar tug in her gut, and Raelle stiffened. She knew what that meant, and she knew that she did not have much control over this foreign magic that seemed seize her body. 

She didn’t know when it started. Perhaps after she had gotten news of her mother’s death. But, suddenly, things were happening around her that...weren’t normal. It was definitely magic, but it wasn’t any she was familiar with. It took control of her body, made her powerless to control what happened around her. 

And she was feeling the familiar brush of its influence right now, in an empty classroom. She knew she should get up, try to stop the magic, try and control her emotions. But, still, she couldn’t bring herself to get up from her seat. 

Her  _ mom.  _ Her mom was dead. She would never be around to give anymore warm hugs. She would never walk around the house again, humming a cheerful tune. She would never laugh again, and Raelle would never hear that loud, boisterous laugh that the woman so often released when she heard something funny.

Raelle would never see her again. 

And then, the pull in her gut  _ tightened.  _

Without warning, every desk in the vicinity was thrown away from her, slamming into the walls and flipping over each other. Papers went flying, and deafening silence followed the loud crash of her outburst. 

The only sound that filled the room was Raelle's own heavy breathing as she took in the mess of a room. The desks were scattered everywhere, papers littering the ground and dents in the wall from where the desks had impacted. 

_ How the hell- _

“Collar?” a voice called from above her. 

_ Shit. Anacostia. _

The Ravenclaw professor descended down the steps of the classroom, exiting her office. Her eyes were wide as she took in the destruction, and Raelle’s excuses caught in her throat. How was she even supposed to explain this?

“How did you do that?” the professor asked. Raelle’s eyes widened in alarm.  _ Had she seen- _

“I’ve never seen magic like that before,” Anacostia continued, her eyes wide with shock. “How?”

Raelle swallowed.  _ Shit. She had seen _ . “Uh,” she said, not knowing what to say. “I’m not really sure.” 

Anacostia nodded wordlessly. 

“I was just thinking about my mom,” Raelle said, choking a little. “And then this happened.” 

Anacostia opened her mouth as if to respond, but stopped as Raelle continued. “It’s happened before. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I don’t have to use my wand. It just...happens. I don’t know how to control it, it explodes at random times and I can’t help it-” 

“Collar.” Anacostia interrupted, placing a hand on Raelle’s shoulder. “It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to.” 

Raelle swallowed again. “I can’t control it.” she repeated, her voice cracking a bit. “I’m scared I’m going to hurt someone.” 

Anacostia’s gaze became concerned, and she glanced at the destruction of the room once again. Finally, she led Raelle towards the stairs. “Come here.” she said as they walked. “We have much to discuss, it seems.” 

And so Raelle had spilled everything about the magic, when it started, what it felt like, what it had done so far, and Anacostia listened, a thoughtful look on her face the whole time. 

When Raelle had finally finished recounting everything, Anacostia simply sat for a moment, as if comprehending everything. 

And then, she nodded, fixing Raelle with a determined gaze. “Alright, I’m going to help you.” she had said, ignoring the confused look on Raelle’s face. “We’re going to figure out these powers enough so that you can control them. And then,” 

She gave Raelle a serious look. “You can’t tell anyone about this. Or show _ anyone  _ your powers. We’ll figure out how to prevent these outbursts, and you don’t use those abilities anymore, understand?” 

Raelle narrowed her eyes. “But, why-” 

“Do you understand, Collar?” Anacostia repeated, her voice sharp. 

Raelle, clearly still unsatisfied, nodded. “I understand.” 

Anacostia released a sigh. “Good.” she said. “Go ahead and get to your next class. I’ll straighten up in here.” 

Raelle nodded, standing from her seat. Her knees were still shaking slightly. 

“Meet me back here after your classes.” Anacostia said as Raelle began to leave. “We’re going to figure out how to stop these...accidents.” 

Raelle had left, her heart still beating faster than it ever had before. And, despite her promise to Anacostia, she had immediately told Tally what had happened. The redhead was shocked, but she offered her support and help. 

And so, while Anacostia taught her to control the magic and not let it overwhelm her, to stifle it, Tally helped explore it. Together, her and Tally discovered the extent of her abilities and how they worked. Not a lot, just in case it backfired, but enough that Raelle was able to sue some of the powers to her advantage. 

It was with Tally that she learned about her healing abilities. She had swallowed when she recalled that her mother had been a healer. She soon realized the magic wasn’t all bad, despite the destruction it seemed to usually cause. 

Anacostia helped her until she was confident that Raelle wouldn’t have another outburst again. She swore Raelle to secrecy, demanding that she tell no one of her magic and to stop using it all together. 

But try as she might, Raelle couldn’t just stop using her abilities. They called to her, begging to be used, to be released. So she continued to use them sparingly, never enough to draw attention to herself or the magic she commanded. 

But now, she was once again faced with Professor Anacostia, begging for her help. “Professor, I think someone’s after me.” she said finally, her voice quiet and hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure whether or not to tell the woman. 

Anacostia didn’t seem surprised, although her jaw clenched. She remained silent, and Raelle took that as an opportunity to continue. 

“The bludger,” she said. “It was cursed to kill me.” 

Anacostia sighed, jaw still clenched. “Yes,” she said after a moment. “It was. Another student came to me after the quidditch match.” 

Raelle raised an eyebrow. She must be talking about Scylla.

“She insisted that the Spree had cursed the bludger, that they were the ones after you.” 

Anacostia finally looked up at her, meeting Raelle’s gaze. “She’s right.” she said. “It’s the Spree.” 

Raelle wasn’t surprised, but she was alarmed that Anacostia was admitting to it, based on Scylla’s conversation with the woman a few days back. 

Anacostia seemed to read her mind. “I didn’t want to believe it.” she admitted. “I didn’t want to believe that the Spree could be back, that they could’ve infiltrated Hogwarts, but I knew.” 

She looked up at Raelle with pained eyes. “After that day last year, I started doing some research.” 

Raelle narrowed her eyes. 

“I went into old records, trying to find mention of your ablities.” she said. “I wound up at the Ministry of Magic, in the Hall of Prophecy, following the words of a book I’d found mentioning powers like yours.” 

Raelle blinked, shaking her head a bit. 

Anacostia swallowed, as if trying to steel herself. “Raelle, there’s a prophecy.” she said finally. “There’s a prophecy, and it says that you and your friends are destined to bring down the Spree. Once and for all.” 

Raelle felt her world tilt a little. “ _ What?”  _ she asked, eyes wide. 

Anacostia sighed. “The prophecy I found,” she replied. “It says that a child that holds power such as yours is destined to bring down the Spree with the help of her companions.” 

Raelle swallowed, shaking her head. “It must mean someone else, it can’t be me-” 

“Raelle.” Anacostia interrupted. She fixed Raelle with a serious look. “It’s you. You know it is. That’s why the Spree is trying to kill you. They must have found the Prophecy and knew it referred to you.” 

“How?” Raelle asked, her tone edging into desperation. “How would they know it’s me? No one knows about my powers.”

Anacostia seemed to hesitate. “Have you used them? Since last year?” she asked quietly. 

Raelle stiffened, realizing that she had walked herself into a trap. She could do nothing but sigh and nod, eyes cast downwards. 

Anacostia sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I should have known,” she said after a moment. “I should’ve known you’d be too headstrong to listen.” 

Raelle swallowed. 

“Someone must have seen you.” Anacostia continued. “The boy who planted the bludger. He must have seen your magic and informed the Spree.” 

Raelle could do nothing but stare at the ground. “My friends,” she said quietly, as if realizing. She looked up at Anacostia with wide eyes. “Don’t tell me they’re involved.” 

Anacostia released another sigh, and that was answer enough for Raelle. “I’ll tell Headmaster Alder of these events.” the professor said finally. “We’ll discuss a plan of action and hopefully find a way to keep the Spree from further infiltrating Hogwarts.” 

Raelle nodded, her eyes pained as she turned to leave the office. 

“Collar,” Anacostia called as she reached the doorway. Raelle turned, looking up at the Professor. “I’m glad you’re okay.” the woman said, a small smile on her face despite the crease of her brow. 

Raelle couldn’t bring herself to return the smile, giving the woman a curt nod and rushing from the classroom. 

* * *

The Hogsmeade trip was a welcome distraction from the events of the last few days. 

Raelle’s friend group had found a new member in the form of Scylla, and Raelle couldn’t be happier about it. Scylla made her feel lighter than she had in years, and Scylla seemed to feel the same way. 

Hand in hand, they walked down the walkway towards the village, laughing at a story Abigail was telling about her mom. 

“I swear to god, she nearly castrated that boy,” she said over the laughs, a smile wide on her face. “I saw it in his face. He thought he was going to  _ die.”  _

“You’re telling me your mom nearly killed a boy for  _ kissing you?” _ Tally asked incredulously. 

Abigail nodded very seriously, leading to another burst of laughter from the group. “She was so mad. As soon as he left, I thought  _ I  _ was the one who was going to die.” 

Raelle leaned over to look at Abigail, eyes wide. “One time, my dad caught me making out with a girl in the Cession,” she said. “And, mind you, I was not out to him yet.” 

The group looked over. “What happened?” asked Tally, eyes wide. 

Raelle gave them all a very serious look before dramatically opening her mouth. “He blinked a couple times and told me to practice safe sex.” 

Everyone started laughing, including Raelle. “Yeah,” she continued. “The girl left after that. I was too embarrassed to do anything but awkwardly walk her out.”

With that, they arrived at The Three Broomsticks. Tally held the door open for everyone and Abigail immediately went to the front to order some drinks for everyone. Raelle and Scylla took that as their cue to stake their claim on a secluded booth in the corner of the pub. 

Raelle slid into the seat next to Scylla, and she leaned on her shoulder as Tally trailed behind them and grabbed the seat across from them. 

After a few minutes, Abigail joined the group, struggling to carry the four butterbeers across the pub. Tally immediately took two of the drinks, setting them carefully on the table to make sure they didn’t spill and moving over to make room for Abigail. 

They sat and drank for a while, discussing their difficult classes and the professors they hated. Abigail dedicated a bit of time, as always, to talk about how terrible her teammate, Libba Swythe, was. The rest of the group simply rolled their eyes and tuned the Slytherin out as she ranted about Libba’s irresponsibility and her inability to catch the snitch in the proper amount of time. 

“Does she always do this?” Scylla asked, leaning closer to Raelle while keeping her eyes trained forward to make it seem as if she was listening. 

Raelle leaned over as well. “All the time,” she whispered with a slight nod. “Ancient family rivalry or whatever.” 

Scylla nodded and blinked a little as Abigail seemed to get more impassioned, slamming her glass against the counter as she spoke. 

“Hey, Abigail?” Raelle’s voice came from next to her. “Do you like Libba?”

Abigail looked at her with wide eyes, sputtering a little as Raelle raised her eyebrows. Tally snickered quietly to the side. “No!” Abigail said, doing a great impersonation of a High Atlantic woman clutching her pearls. “I do not  _ like  _ Libba! She’s the worst! Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?” 

Raelle smiled, releasing a small huff of laughter as Abigail glared at her in outrage. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” she said, taking a sip of her butterbeer as Scylla and Tally burst into laughter. 

Abigail sputtered, her eyes burning with outrage as she began to protest, only to be interrupted with Tally quickly changing the subject. “So!” she said before Abigail could verbally assault Raelle for even suggesting that she liked Libba. “Are you guys looking forward to the next quidditch match?” 

Scylla finally recovered from her fit of laugh enough to nod. “Yeah, who is it again?” she asked, taking a casual sip from her glass. 

“Pretty sure it’s Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.” Raelle answered, eyes narrowed as she tried to recall. 

“Well that’s good,” Tally said. “It gives both you and Abigail a break.” 

Raelle and Abigail nodded their agreement. “At least we won’t have to deal with anymore storms,” Abigail pointed out. “We aren’t supposed to have any bad weather for at least another month. It’ll just be kind of cold.” 

Raelle seemed to sag with relief at that. “Thank  _ god.”  _ she said. “Another match in the rain, I might just melt.” 

Scylla poked her in the ribs, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “You’re more concerned with the rain than the fact that a bludger knocked you off your broom?” 

Raelle shrugged. “At least Hufflepuff won.” she said with a grin, flinching a little when Scylla slapped her in the arm. 

Abigail scowled at the mention of Hufflepuff’s victory. “You wouldn’t have won if you hadn’t distracted everyone by dramatically falling off your broom.” she pointed out with narrowed eyes. 

Raelle stuck her tongue out at her. “You’re just mad Slytherin lost.” 

“You guys are very much ignoring the fact that Raelle could’ve  _ died. _ ” Tally said, blinking a bit at their exchange. 

“Eh,” both Raelle and Abigail replied, still giving each other intense glares from across the table. 

“Unbelievable.” Scylla said, rubbing her forehead.

_ “Anyway,”  _ Tally said, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Speaking of the accident at the match, have we made any progress in our, um, missions?” 

Abigail gave the girl a flat look. “ _ Missions? _ ” she asked. “Really, Tal?” 

Tally shrunk a bit. “What?” she asked defensively. “I didn’t know what else to call them.” 

Abigail rolled her eyes. 

Scylla looked over at Raelle, asking her a silent question and receiving a small nod from the girl. Scylla cleared her throat. “Raelle and I found out something concerning our,  _ ah,  _ mission.” she said. 

Abigail sighed, nodding for her to continue. 

Scylla gave Raelle one more look, checking if she was sure, but Raelle was staring pointedly at the table. 

With a sigh, Scylla looked back at Tally and Abigail, who were both staring at her expectantly. “Well,” she said. “It would seem that there’s a, uh, prophecy involved.” 

Abigail blinked while Tally just stared. “A  _ prophecy?”  _ Tally asked disbelievingly. 

Raelle winced a little at her tone, and Scylla took a deep breath before continuing. “Raelle spoke to Professor Anacostia a couple days ago.” she explained. “She said that the Spree found a prophecy concerning Raelle, and that's why they want to kill her.” 

Abigail narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning towards Raelle. The Hufflepuff clutched her glass tightly, eyes trained on the table as Scylla spoke. “What kind of prophecy?” she asked. 

Scylla swallowed. “Um,” she started, only to be interrupted by Raelle. 

“ _ Apparently,”  _ Raelle said. “We’re all destined to take down the Spree once and for all.” 

Silence consumed the table. 

“What.” Tally said, blinking in shock. 

Raelle winced again. “Um,” she said. “The prophecy said that someone who has my powers and her friends are supposed to take down the Spree.”

Abigail nodded, looking as if she still didn’t believe. “Uh huh.” she said. 

“What?” Raelle asked defensively, her arms in the air as a sign of surrender. “It’s what Anacostia told me. She found the prophecy herself, and she thinks the Spree got their hands on it somehow.” 

Abigail squinted at her. “And how would they know to target you?” she asked. 

Raelle blushed a little. “Someone must have seen me using my powers,” she replied quietly. 

“ _ Oh,”  _ Abigail replied, dangerously calm. “You mean that exact thing Tally _and_ Anacostia _and_ I  warned you about?” 

Raelle sighed. “Yeah,” she said, her eyes closed in resignation. 

Scylla frowned, rubbing Raelle’s arm comfortingly. 

Abigail groaned, rubbing her forehead. “Okay,” she said. “So we’re all involved now.” 

Raelle nodded solemnly, looking as if she was going to be sick. 

Scylla sighed, giving Raelle a sympathetic look before turning back to a shell shocked Tally and a frustrated Abigail. “What about you guys?” she asked, breaking the tense silence. “Have you guys narrowed down any suspects?” 

Abigail looked up at her, a crease still present in her brow. “Yeah, we have a few suspects in mind,” she replied, sitting a bit straighter. “Only problem is, we don’t know what year the kid is in, and we found a bunch of students with curly blonde hair.” 

“Really?” Raelle asked, her eyes narrowed. “I would’ve thought that would narrow it down a lot.” 

Abigail shrugged. “That’s what I thought, too,” she admitted. “But apparently there’s a good amount of students here that fit that description.” 

Tally swallowed, as if finally coming back to herself. Shaking her head slightly, she addressed Scylla. “We’ve narrowed it down to about five people.” she told her. “When we get back to the castle, we’ll show you all of our possible intruders and you can pick out the guy.” 

Scylla nodded, absentmindedly gripping Raelle’s hand underneath the table. Raelle didn’t hesitate before squeezing back. 

Silence consumed the table as the situation sunk in. “So,” Abigail said after a few moments. “We’re zupposed to take down the Spree, huh?” 

Everyone looked up at her. Raelle chuckled a bit before nodding. “Seems like it.” she replied, taking another sip of her drink. 

Tally sighed. “Guys, c’mon,” she said, catching everyone’s attention. “Let’s not let this ruin our trip. We can only go to Hogsmeade so many times before we graduate.” 

Scylla smiled a bit, squeezing Raelle’s hand tighter. She looked back towards the Hufflepuff, a playful smirk on her face. 

“Tally’s right,” Abigail said, forcing a smile. “Let’s go have some fun before we have to face a foreboding destiny.” 

With that, she stood from her seat, taking her glass and draining the last of the butterbeer in one swift gulp before walking towards the door. 

The others exchanged glances before standing from the booth and stumbling after her out the door. 

* * *

“So they know of the prophecy?” Headmaster Alder asked, releasing a shaky sigh. 

Professor Anacostia nodded, eyes downcast. “Yes, Headmaster.” she replied. “I told Collar.” 

Alder turned to look at the professor, her gaze sharp. “Did I, or did I not, explicitly tell you not to tell them?” 

Anacostia seemed to shrink under the headmaster’s gaze. “You did, Headmaster.” she said. “But Raelle knew something was going on. So did her friends. It was only a matter of time before they tracked down the prophecy themselves, and that would only put them in more danger.”

Alder released another sigh, rubbing her forehead as she took a seat at her desk. “A fair point, Anacostia,” she said quietly. “I just wish that they didn’t have to deal with such a fate. They’re so young. They don’t deserve this.”

Anacostia nodded her agreement, her face solemn as she met eyes with Alder. “Do they know it all?” Alder asked. 

Anacostia shook her head. “I didn’t tell them everything.” she told her. 

Alder nodded, looking down towards the desk once again. “Good.” she said. “They can’t know that one of them is supposed to fall in their battle against the Spree.” 

Anacostia seemed to flinch. “Do you think that it’s true?” she asked hesitantly. “That one of them will die?” 

Alder looked up at the professor, her gaze intense. “It’s true.” she said. “If there's one thing I've learned, it's that prophecies don’t lie.” 

Anacostia swallowed. 

“I can only hope that it will be quick and painless.” Alder continued. “Those girls have been through enough as it is, and they’re such gifted witches. Ramshorn has been one of the most powerful witches to come through this school, not to mention Bellweather’s excellent spellcasting and Craven’s unparalleled seer work. And Collar’s gifts are unheard of. Any of them would be a terrible loss.”

Anacostia nodded, remaining silent. 

Alder sighed before looking up at Anacostia again. “Shore up our defenses.” she said. “Try and find the traitor in our midst before they can do any more harm.” 

Anacostia nodded again, standing straighter as she turned to leave the office. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, drop me a comment or kudos if you enjoy!! Love reading everyone's comments!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle and Abigail experiment with Raelle's abilities, and the Spree finally makes a move.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Raelle asked, her voice shaking a bit. 

“Of course,” Abigail answered, peering over from the balcony she was standing on. “I jump off, you use your freaky psychic powers to catch me. Simple.” 

Raelle swallowed, craning her neck to look up at Abigail unsurely. “Just because it worked with a few books and a desk doesn’t mean it will work with a whole person, Abi.” she replied. “You could get hurt.”

Abigail smiled. “Aw, are you going soft, Collar?” she teased. “Worried about me getting hurt?” 

Raelle bristled a bit at that, crossing her arms stubbornly. “No,” she insisted. “I’m just worried about getting in trouble if you end up breaking your neck because you launched yourself from a fucking  _ balcony.”  _

Abigail scoffed. “I’ll be fine,” she replied, already beginning to crawl over the railing. “Besides, I’m not completely useless, you know. I  _ can  _ use my wand to catch myself if you don’t do your job.” 

Raelle rolled her eyes, grumbling as Abigail took her place on the outside of the railing. “Tally wouldn’t approve, you know.” she called up, an eyebrow raised. 

Abigail shrugged, holding tight to the bannister as she glanced down at the ground below her. She was about 20 feet above the grass of the courtyard. Thankfully, no one else was around, considering it was absolutely frigid outside. Raelle was positive that they were the only ones stupid enough to be out when it was this cold. They were  _ definitely  _ the only ones stupid enough to launch themselves from a balcony in the name of science. 

Abigail was dead set on discovering more about Raelle’s abilities, dropping multiple items from different heights to test how Raelle could catch them and move the items through the air. So far, Raelle had excelled, catching every book thrown from the balcony and using her powers to move them across the lawn at breakneck speeds.

Obviously, that wasn’t enough for Abigail. 

“Okay, I’m gonna jump.” she called over the wind. She released one of her hands from the railing, allowing herself to hang over the grass using only one hand. 

Raelle swallowed, trying to control her nerves. It was the same concept as the books. All she had to do was reach out with that power and grab Abigail before she hit the ground. It shouldn’t be too hard. 

As Abigail counted down, Raelle felt for that familiar tug in her gut, focusing on it as she held out her hands, preparing to catch her friend out of the air. 

“Now!” Abigail cried as she finally let go, allowing herself to fall from the balcony and towards the grass. She swallowed her scream as her stomach dropped and she barreled towards the grass. 

Gripping her wand tightly, she glanced at Raelle, who was looking at her wide wide eyes as she fell, her hands outspread as she prepared to catch her. 

Just as Abigail was going to hit the grass, she stopped midair. Abigail stiffened as a foreign power seemed to invade her body, keeping her stationary in the air and unable to move. 

“Raelle?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly as she turned her eyes towards the girl. Raelle was breathing heavily, her entire body tensed as she struggled to support Abigail’s weight. 

Abigail felt herself move through the air, the cool breeze brushing against her skin as she approached the ground once again, albeit much slower this time around. 

Around a foot from the ground, the power ceased, leaving Abigail to flop unceremoniously against the ground, sprawled across the grass. Raelle slumped over, breathing heavily and heart beating impossibly fast. 

Abigail groaned, pushing herself off the ground and craning her neck to throw a glare at Raelle. “Couldn’t have been a bit more gentle?” she asked, brushing herself off as she stood. 

Raelle straightened, easily returning her glare. “Better than being a pancake on the ground, Bellweather,” she spat, taking a deep breath as she glanced up at the balcony and back towards Abigail. 

Abigail couldn’t argue with that. 

Just as she was opening her mouth to throw a retort, a voice came from behind them. 

"Just  _ what  _ do you think you two are doing?” Tally’s voice echoed across the courtyard. 

Raelle and Abigail winced, turning to face a livid-looking Tally. Raelle shrunk a little further when she noticed Scylla standing next to her, arms crossed as she looked at the pair in disappointment. 

As the two of them approached, Raelle leaned over to Abigail. “Told you they wouldn’t approve.” she hissed. 

“Shut up, Collar,” Abigail replied, not looking at her, too focused on Tally storming over. 

“Tell me,” Tally said, eyes open wide with outrage. “That you did not jump off a damn  _ balcony,  _ Abigail Bellweather.” 

Abigail seemed to wither. “Okay, Tally,” she said. “I did not jump off of a balcony.” 

Raelle gave the pair a weak smile as Tally slapped Abigail on the shoulder. “Abigail!” she cried. “That was so stupid! What if Raelle wasn’t able to catch you?” 

Abigail hung her head. 

“And you!” Tally exclaimed, turning her attention towards Raelle. “You knew this was idiotic and you still let Abigail talk you into it. I expected better.”

“Sorry, Tally,” Raelle muttered. 

Tally took a deep breath. “Yeah, you should be.” she said, rubbing her forehead. 

Silence consumed the group, and Raelle risked a glance at Scylla, only to find her staring at Raelle in disappointment. Raelle immediately looked back towards the ground, flushing.

Tally sighed. “So it worked?” she asked after a moment. 

Raelle and Abigail both whipped their heads up to look at her. “What?” Abigail asked, her voice shocked. 

Tally shook her head, looking at them expectantly. “You heard me,” she said. “It worked? Abigail didn’t catch herself? It was Raelle?”

Raelle and Abigail exchanged glances before looking back at Tally and nodding. 

Tally nodded her understanding. “Cool.” she finally said after a moment of tense silence. 

Unable to hold it in anymore, Scylla snorted a bit. 

And then, everyone was laughing, unable to deal with the ridiculousness of the situation. 

Tally leaned forward, brushing a tear from her eye as she struggled to control her laughter. “I can’t believe you jumped off a fucking balcony, Abi,” she said between gasps for air. 

Abigail was laughing just as hard. “That was so stupid,” she admitted. 

Tally nodded her agreement, and they hugged. “I’m glad you’re not a pancake.” Tally said. Abigail only nodded, squeezing Tally tighter. 

Scylla moved towards Raelle. “So,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “You can move stuff with your mind?” 

Raelle shrugged. “I guess?” she replied. 

Scylla shook her head, laughing. “That’s so fucking weird.” she said, leaning in to press a soft kiss against Raelle’s lips. 

Raelle kissed her back, pulling away after a moment to nod her agreement. “Super fucking weird.” she admitted. 

Scylla looked at her for a moment, meeting her eyes with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Kind of hot, not gonna lie,” she commented, laughing when Raelle sputtered, her face a bright red. 

“C’mon, guys,” Tally called, catching everyone’s attention. “We’re going to miss dinner. And I bet you guys are cold, you’ve been out here for almost two hours now.” 

Raelle blinked as she realized how long they had been training, blushing a little when her stomach growled. Scylla gave her a knowing look, an eyebrow raised. 

Raelle pushed past her, grumbling under her breath as the group followed her inside the castle, their laughter echoing through the hallways as they made their way towards the great hall. 

They made it just in time for the meal, taking their place at the end of the Hufflepuff table just as the mountain of food appeared in front of everyone. 

“So, any progress on the intruder front?” Abigail asked as everyone began to pile their plates high. 

Tally nodded, taking a large bite of a piece of toast before she answered. “Yeah, Scylla and I have two possible guys.” 

Scylla nodded. “It’s either Clive in Ravenclaw or Porter in Gryffindor.” she said. 

Raelle narrowed her eyes. “Clive?” she asked. “Man, I hate that guy. I bet it’s him.” 

Tally nodded. “He’s terrible,” she agreed. “He tried to make a move on me last year after a quidditch match and called me a bitch when I told him no.” 

Abigail scoffed. “What an asshole,” she noted. “Totally gotta be him.” 

Scylla sighed. “While I agree he’s an asshole, is he really capable of killing someone?” she asked. “It could still be Porter for all we know.” 

Raelle looked unsure. “But Porter’s a nice guy,” she said. “He helped me out a bunch in divination last year. I was a shit seer.” 

Tally nodded her agreement as Abigail rolled her eyes. “Just because he helped you in class doesn’t mean he’s not secretly evil.” she pointed out. 

“Fair.” Raelle admitted. 

“Guys,” Scylla said. “What if it’s neither of them. It could have just as easily been a polyjuice potion to protect the real identity of the traitor.” 

Everyone quieted at that. “True.” Tally said. “Hadn’t thought of that.” 

“Regardless,” Abigail said, straightening a bit. “There’s still a traitor at Hogwarts. Even if they took Porter or Clive’s face, they have to either be a student or a professor. It’s the only way they would have been able to infiltrate Hogwarts and remain hidden enough to plant a cursed bludger.” 

Everyone nodded.

“But that doesn’t narrow it down at all,” Raelle pointed out. “If they used a polyjuice potion, it could have been anyone.”

“Yes,” Scylla agreed. “But it doesn’t hurt to look into Porter or Clive. We’ll take turns tailing them and making sure they aren’t doing anything suspicious.” 

“Okay,” Abigail said. “Tally and I’ll take Clive, you two take Porter.” 

Everyone nodded their agreement. “Sounds like a plan,” Raelle said, taking a large bite of pasta. 

* * *

They spent the next few days split between experimenting with Raelle’s powers and spying on Clive and Porter. 

They discovered the specifics of Raelle’s power, testing that she was able to do more than levitate things. She could make objects fly across the room, she could heal serious wounds, and she seemed to have a supernatural awareness about her. 

They figured  _ that  _ out when Abigail threw a book at Raelle’s head after Raelle had tossed her into the lake. Raelle didn’t even turn around, simply moving to the side enough to dodge the book and whipping her head around to throw Abigail a warning glare. 

That also explained how she was able to initially dodge the bludger during the quidditch match. She remembered the tingling on the back of her neck before the ball was about to hit her. Apparently, that was just an extension of her abilities. 

On top of that, the group practiced dueling all together. Abigail taught them all they needed to know about defensive spells involving shielding and dodging. She also contributed a good amount of time towards coaching them in offensive spells and tactics, teaching them various jinxes and stunning spells. 

While Raelle’s talents did not really lie in spellwork, Scylla took to it almost immediately. She had never devoted much attention towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, too interested in learning potions, but she apparently had a knack for hexes and similar spellwork. 

Raelle could do little but stare as Scylla dodged and twirled, shooting offensive spells back at Abigail as they dueled. She skillfully conjured a shield, buying her enough time to send a strong stunning spell careening towards Abigail. Abigail, not to be upstaged, dodged, but just barely. She stumbled, clumsily returning a jinx back towards Scylla. 

Scylla easily deflected the attack, twirling her dark wand in a spiral before launching a spell towards the Bellweather, effectively penetrating her defenses and knocking her onto the ground. 

Abigail had grumbled, but she begrudgingly shook Scylla’s hand afterwards. Raelle couldn’t deny that Scylla was exceptionally talented, and she definitely couldn’t deny that the Ravenclaw was absolutely _hot._

Raelle did her best to duel with Tally afterwards, but she barely lasted a few minutes before she ended up staring up at the ceiling, having been knocked to the ground by a strong stunning spell. 

Yeah, Raelle wasn’t very good at dueling. 

But she was trying her best?

When they weren’t practicing their spellcasting and dueling, the group worked on spying on their suspects. 

On the days Raelle and Scylla spent tracking Porter’s movements, there was little to remark upon. Porter seemed like a normal student, spending his time with friends and practicing quidditch with the Gryffindor team. He spent a good amount of time in the library, pouring over books and studying. 

“Ugh, he’s so  _ boring, _ ” Raelle had commented after yet another hour spent hunched over a book in the library. “I never thought spying would be so dull.” 

Scylla had rolled her eyes and shushed her. “If you don’t quiet down, we’re going to get kicked out,” she pointed out. “And, Porter might hear you, and then we’re screwed.”

Raelle had simply sighed, groaning a little too loud as she slumped across the table they were seated at. 

Tally and Abigail had even less luck. Clive, despite being a dick, was a pretty average guy. None of his actions particularly screamed ‘spy,’ unfortunately. 

When they met up at the end of everyday, they all had nothing of significance to report, much to Abigail’s chagrin. 

It was frustrating, to say the least. Raelle couldn’t exactly place it, but something about Porter was...off. 

He was a completely normal guy, it seemed. And yet, Raelle couldn’t shake the feeling that he was guilty of something. Regardless, her feelings were useless unless they found real, solid proof. And right now? That was looking less and less likely. 

Clive was just an idiot. Raelle was pretty sure the guy wasn’t actually a terrorist in disguise. Just an asshole. 

“Guys, I think we might have to call it off,” Tally said one evening. 

The group was crowded under a big tree in the courtyard, sprawled across the grass and discussing their progress so far. Which was none. 

After almost a week straight, they were unable to find anything suspicious about Porter or Clive. Raelle hated to admit it, but Tally had a point. 

“No!” Abigail said, sitting up from where she was leaned against the massive trunk of the tree. Scylla looked up at her, furrowing her brows. She ceased running her hands through Raelle’s hair, focusing on Abigail instead. Raelle frowned at the lack of contact, but she said nothing.

“Abi, Tally’s right,” Scylla said softly, a contrast to Abigail’s loud protest. “We have nothing to go on. We have to consider the possibility that Porter and Clive have nothing to do with this.” 

Abigail frowned. “But then we have...nothing.” she said quietly, her eyes downcast. 

Raelle furrowed her brows at Abigail’s solemn tone. She propped herself up from the lawn with her elbows, turning to face Abigail. “Abi, it’s okay-” she said. 

“No, it’s not, Rae,” Abigail said, looking down at her with frustrated eyes. “Don’t you get it? You almost  _ died.”  _

Everyone went silent. 

“You almost died, Raelle.” Abigail repeated, softer this time. Her voice was a bit shaky. 

Raelle sighed, ignoring the pain that sprouted in her chest at Abigail’s tone. She reached her hand out, placing it on Abigail’s knee. “Abigail.” she said, meeting the girl’s dark brown eyes. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” 

Abigail swallowed, jerking away and abruptly standing from her spot against the tree. The rest of the group could only watch as she stormed away, clenching her fist until her knuckles were white. 

Raelle and Scylla exchanged glances as Tally began to stand, intent on following Abigail. “Tal,” Raelle said, grabbing Tally’s hand before she could follow. “Let’s give her some space.” 

Tally looked back at her, eyes glossy. After a moment, she sighed, nodding and retaking her seat next to Scylla. 

It was much more solemn after that, and they returned to the castle later on, their mood significantly dampened. Tally made her way back to the Hufflepuff common room while Raelle walked Scylla back to the Ravenclaw common room. 

Too soon, they were standing in front of the entrance, and Raelle was left holding both of Scylla’s hands. She met her eyes, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss against Scylla’s lips. Scylla deepened the kiss, placing both her hands on the back of Raelle’s neck to pull her closer. 

It was over too quickly. Scylla pulled back, pressing her forehead against Raelle’s and closing her eyes, as if trying to savor the moment. She opened her eyes, glancing up to meet Raelle’s gaze. “Whatever happens,” she whispered. “You know I’ll be there for you, right?” 

Raelle swallowed, nodding slightly. “I know, Scyl.” she replied. 

Raelle took a deep breath, closing her eyes before looking at Scylla once again. “Scyl?” she asked quietly. 

“Yeah?”

“I’m scared.” 

Scylla pulled back, fixing Raelle with a soft look. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around Raelle, drawing her in for a tight embrace. “It’s okay, Rae.” she whispered into the Hufflepuff’s ear. “I’m scared too.” 

Raelle squeezed her tighter, only separating after a few moments. They shared another look, Raelle smiling and giving Scylla a small kiss on the cheek before she began to walk away. Scylla grabbed her arm, pulling her back for a moment to press a real kiss against Raelle’s lips before she left. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Raelle said, a smile on her as they separated. 

Scylla gave a small wave as she walked away, smiling to herself before turning to the Ravenclaw entrance and racking her brain to try and answer the riddle given by the lady in the portrait. 

Raelle couldn’t help the grin that passed across her face as she walked the empty hallways. Most of the students were already in their respective common rooms, not wanting to get in trouble for breaking curfew. But Raelle couldn’t pass up the opportunity to walk her girl back to the Ravenclaw tower. She was an amazing girlfriend, after all. 

Wait, were they even girlfriends yet? Was it official? 

Raelle shook her head. They had more important things to worry about.

However, the happiness she felt thinking about Scylla didn’t last. Her mind was soon overwhelmed with thoughts of the Spree and their plans, as well as all this prophecy bullshit. She couldn't help but feel as though she had dragged her friends into this mess. It shouldn’t involve them, and they shouldn’t get hurt because of her. 

Raelle ran a hand through her hair. She was desperately looking forward to the weekend. Her classes had been kicking her ass lately, and that was on top of all the stress that came with the prophecy involving the downfall of the terrorist organization trying to kill her. 

Divination, especially, was not her strong suit. 

Nonetheless, she knew that this weekend would give her a bit of time to relax and spend some time with Scylla and her friends, unworried about constantly stalking Porter. 

Soon enough, Raelle found herself faced with the Hufflepuff entrance. Walking into the common room, she sighed. She hoped this would be over soon. Raelle wasn’t sure how much more of this constant stress she could take. 

* * *

The next day, Scylla couldn’t help but feel that something was...off. 

She ate breakfast with Raelle and her friends, as usual, and nothing was obviously different. And yet, she couldn’t help the feeling of dread that crept through her as she glanced around the great hall. 

Abigail apologized for her outburst the day before, explaining that she was just worried about Raelle. Everyone agreed, and told her they understood. They resumed casual conversation after that, easily exchanging laughs and smiles.

Scylla was still concerned something bad was going to happen, despite how well breakfast had gone. 

Nothing happened throughout all her classes, and by the time Scylla was walking to her potions class at the end of the day, she was kicking herself for being so paranoid. 

And then everything went to shit. 

Suddenly, there were people screaming through the hallways, and Scylla watched with wide eyes as students were stunned and hexed by numerous figures moving through the castle. They dressed in black, brandishing their wands at all the students, yelling at them to get to the ground. 

The Spree were invading the castle.

Scylla used the chaos to slip into the bathroom located on the inside wall. Listening to the screams of her classmates outside, she closed her eyes and prayed that no one would think to check the bathroom. 

She retreated into one of the stalls, lifting her feet from the ground and bracing herself against the walls of the stall. 

She sat there for what felt like hours, reeling. The attack had happened so suddenly, it was hard to wrap her head around.

How had this happened? Hogwarts was supposed to be secure. And now there were dozens of terrorists flooding the castle? It must have been the actions of the traitor once again.

There was little doubt in her mind about what they were after, though.  _ Who  _ they were after. Scylla grit her teeth as she thought about it. The Spree were presumably spreading through the castle, taking numerous hostages and attacking professors and administrators. 

Scylla couldn’t stop the bolt of fear that pierced through her as the sound of the door slamming open sounded through the bathroom.

She held her breath as footsteps echoed against the tile, and, as quietly as she could, she lifted her wand from the folds of her cloak. 

She could see the figure through the gaps in the walls of the stall, and she worried her heart would beat out of her chest when she saw the wand the Spree brandished tightly in her right palm. 

There was a tense silence as the woman stopped walking. 

Right in front of the stall she was in. 

Deciding that she didn’t want her to make the first move, Scylla took a deep breath, grasping the handle of her wand tighter and launching herself towards the door of the stall. 

She caught the woman off guard. She wasn’t expecting Scylla to make the first move, and when she burst from the stall, pointing her wand and yelling a stunning spell at her, the woman didn’t have time to shield himself. 

Scylla winced a bit as the Spree agent was thrown against the wall, slamming into the sinks and falling to the ground with a loud crash.

The only sound that filled the empty bathroom was Scylla’s heavy breathing as she tensely waited for more Spree agents to flood the bathroom. However, after a few moments, it was clear that the bathroom was safe, for now. 

She glanced down at the limp figure of the Spree agent, clenching her jaw as she struggled to decide what she should do next. 

The obvious answer would be to wait in the bathroom until this all blew over, since she was relatively isolated from all the mortal peril she would be in if she left. 

And yet, Scylla’s thoughts inevitably drifted towards Raelle. The Spree were undoubtedly after her, and it was only a matter of time before they found her. While Raelle was powerful and capable of defending herself, she was no match for this amount of agents. On top of that, the Spree presumably had hostages at this point, which meant they had leverage over Raelle. It would take little persuasion for Raelle to surrender herself if other students were being threatened.

Scylla wasn’t sure what difference she would make, but she had to go find Raelle and help. As far as she knew, the Hufflepuff had presumably been on her way to potions as well, although she was coming from the divination tower. Which meant that she was probably in the northern portion of the castle, on the seventh floor. 

Right near the Room of Requirement. 

Scylla took a steadying breath, trying to calm down. She glanced down at the fallen Spree agent once again, noticing the black clothes the woman wore and the hood that covered her face. 

Suddenly, looking at the small figure of the woman, Scylla had an idea. 

It took her relatively little time to take the woman’s clothes and use them to replace the cloak she wore. 

The clothes didn’t really fit, but looking in the mirror, Scylla was confident that she would be able to sneak through the castle without being stopped by any agents. 

Hopefully, the chaos outside would be enough cover for her to make it all the way to the Room of Requirement. 

She prayed that Raelle had made her way there. It was the most protected place in the castle, and hopefully, Raelle hadn’t been intercepted by any agents on her way there.

Scylla sighed. She hoped Abigail and Tally were okay. They were both supposed to be in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Anacostia. 

They were probably hostages by now, along with their whole class. 

Scylla shook her head, clenching her jaw. No, she refused to believe that her friends would go down that easily. Especially Abigail. They would fight back. 

Hopefully, they didn’t do anything incredibly stupid.

Steeling herself, Scylla forced her legs to stand and walk towards the door. With one more glance at the safe bathroom, Scylla took a deep breath and walked into the chaotic hallways of Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drop me a comment if you enjoy!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle and Scylla finally find the traitor in their midst. Raelle is faced with an impossible decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man this story is getting kind of long!! This is a pretty long chapter by itself, ngl.

Raelle was running. 

She could hear the two agents storming after her, throwing clumsy spells at her retreating form, struggling to hit their target. 

Raelle grunted as she stumbled, dodging a curse that landed particularly close to her head. She kept going, jerking her head back to see how close her pursuers were. 

Raelle blanched. Too close. 

She turned a corner, sliding against the tiles as she sped past, running as fast as she could. She felt fear grip her when she saw how long and straight the hallway was. There were no alcoves or any other places to hide. 

She kept running, breathing heavily as she listened to the furious footsteps of the Spree behind her. 

“Hit her!” she heard one of the Spree snap at the other, and Raelle swallowed, struggling to keep her pace. She was running out of energy fast, and they now had no obstacles in the way of any spells. 

“ _ Crucio!”  _ cried one of the wizards, his voice echoing down the empty corridor. Raelle’s eyes widened as she heard the words, and she threw herself to the ground, dodging the curse just in time. 

_ Fuck. _

She tried to push herself off the floor, grunting as she began to run once again, stumbling over her feet in her desperation to get away. 

Before she could get any distance, one of the wizards was a couple feet behind her, brandishing his wand and yelling at her to surrender. 

Raelle didn’t, trying once again to run from her attackers. 

“ _ Crucio!”  _ the other witch cried, venom clear in her voice. 

This time, Raelle could do nothing to dodge the attack. The Spree agents were too close, and the woman didn’t miss. 

Raelle let out a pained scream as spasms of fire wracked her body, leaving her to fall to the floor. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming, groaning through the agonizing pain of the curse. 

After what felt like hours, even though it was probably only a couple seconds, the pain receded, and Raelle was left on the floor, breathing heavily. 

“We got a fighter here,” one of the Spree said. He leaned over to look at Raelle, a wicked smile on his face. 

Raelle glared up at him, rage flickering in her eyes. 

Without warning, she spit in his face. As he made a noise of outrage and disgust, Raelle tried once again to escape, making a desperate attempt to push herself off the ground and flee. 

It was no use, as the woman casually pointed her wand at her, casting the unforgivable curse once again. 

She approached nonchalantly as Raelle screamed and spasmed on the ground, gritting her teeth through the pain. “Wait a second,” she asked over Raelle’s screams. “Are you a Hufflepuff?” 

She lifted her wand, and the pain ceased, leaving Raelle to slump over against the tile. The woman leaned down, crouching next to Raelle’s shuddering form. “Look at me.” she said, her voice more cold than it had been before. 

Raelle didn’t move, keeping her eyes trained on the floor. She didn't know what might happen if the woman recognized her, if she realized that Raelle wasn't just another student.

“Look at me,” the woman repeated, standing up and pulling Raelle off the ground by her hair. Raelle grunted, helpless to resist as the woman dragged her up and turned her to face her. 

“Raelle Collar.” she said with a grin. The woman glanced back at her acquaintance, exchanging silent words as her grip tightened on Raelle’s hair.

After a moment, the woman turned back towards Raelle, looking her up and down. “Alright,” she said, dropping the Hufflepuff unceremoniously to the ground. “We have what we came for, inform the others.” 

The woman pointed her wand at Raelle once again. Before she could stun her, however, Raelle reached out and pulled on the familiar tug in her gut. 

The woman flew backwards, crashing into her partner behind and subsequently into the far wall. 

Raelle winced as she forced herself to her feet, taking her wand from her cloak and casting a stunning spell at the pair. 

“ _ Stupefy!”  _ she cried, and before either of them could recover, they were unconscious, piled against the wall. 

Breathing heavily, Raelle slumped over a bit. She was still feeling the effects of the cruciatus curse. Her body was tense and exhausted, and spasms of pain still ran through her. 

Shaking her head, she forced herself to keep moving. She was close to the Room of Requirement. That was where she would be safest, and hopefully where Scylla would know to meet her. 

She worked her way down the long hallway, her wand out and ready for any potential attackers. 

The walk felt like miles, when in reality it was only just down the hallway. 

She walked past the area where the door would be a few times, desperately trying to get her mind to focus enough to get to Scylla’s safe haven. 

Just as the door began to appear, Raelle spied a figure dressed in black approaching her from the stairwell at the other end of the corridor. She didn’t hesitate, taking out her wand and pointing it at the figure. 

“Wait-” came a familiar voice, but Raelle was already yelling a spell. 

“ _ Expelliarmus!”  _

The wand the woman was holding flew out of her hand, and Raelle immediately made her way towards the woman, her expression set into a snarl. 

Just as Raelle opened her mouth to stun the Spree, the woman held up her hands in surrender, reaching up to rip the mask from her face. “Raelle, wait,” a familiar voice said. “It’s me!” 

“Scylla?” Raelle asked hesitantly, lowering her wand slightly. 

Scylla nodded, dropping her hands and moved towards Raelle, wrapping her arms around the Hufflepuff in a tight hug. “I was so worried,” she whispered into Raelle’s ear. 

Raelle stiffened for only a moment before melting into the hug and lowering her wand completely, letting her arm become slack at her side. 

They hugged for a moment before separating. Scylla smiled at her, looking her up and down to check for injuries. 

She must have seen how tense Raelle was standing and how she seemed to be trembling slightly. “What happened?” she asked, brows furrowed in concern.

Raelle swallowed, turning away and facing the fully formed door of the Room of Requirement. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. 

Ignoring Scylla’s protests, Raelle approached the door, gripping the handle and pulling it open. 

However, instead of the familiar room Scylla had shown her, Raelle was surprised to find a room full of...junk. 

Piles and piles of random objects spread across the massive room, and Raelle stared open-mouthed at the sight. 

Scylla slowly walked to her side, clearly just as confused. “What is this place?” Raelle asked, still caught up in staring at the piles of junk towering above them. 

Scylla swallowed. “I think I read about this somewhere,” she replied, moving into the room. The door swung shut with a note of finality behind them. “I believe it’s called the Room of Hidden Things.”

“Right,” Raelle muttered as they slowly made their way through the room, looking around at the multitude of items that were scattered everywhere. “What does that mean?” 

Scylla passed by a pile of broken furniture and ruined cloaks, running her finger over the corner of a dilapidated desk. “Basically, it functions as a place for people to hide their things in.” she explained, gazing up to the top of the pile with wide eyes. “Whenever someone needed somewhere to hide something, the Room of Requirement offered just that. These are the objects and secrets that all the students and professors in Hogwarts have needed to hide over hundreds of years.”

Raelle picked up a broom from one of the piles, examining the brown wood of the handle with narrowed eyes. “Explains why there’s so much junk in here,” she said, looking up at Scylla. “This broom is complete trash.” 

Scylla laughed a little as Raelle threw the broom back on the pile. “I wonder why the Room thought to bring us here,” she mused as Raelle began to climb on one of the desks in an attempt to see further into the massive chamber. 

“I’m not sure,” Raelle replied. “Looks like this place goes on forever, though.” 

Just as Scylla was about to reply, the sound of an object crashing to the ground echoed through the room. Both Raelle and Scylla whipped their heads around, exchanging quick glances before walking cautiously towards where the sound had come from. 

They passed by a group of discarded swords and various other weapons, peeking around the corner to find a familiar blonde boy looking right back at them. 

“Porter?” both Scylla and Raelle asked. 

The boy blanched, looking at them with wide, fearful eyes. “Why are you here?” he asked, reaching into the folds of his cloak, and action that caught Raelle’s attention. 

Before he could fully get his wand, Raelle had already pulled hers out, aiming the point towards Porter threateningly. “Why are  _ you  _ here?” Scylla asked as Porter raised shaky hands into the air. 

Raelle noticed that he continued to glance at the cabinet located to his right. The thing was old, scratched, and looked close to falling apart. Yet, the masterful craftsmanship was clear through the hand carving adorning the corners and doors of the cabinet. The doors were swung wide open, and Raelle could see that the inside was that of a simple cupboard. 

So why was Porter so concerned about it?

Just as she was about to ask, a sudden pain jolted through her head, causing her to drop her wand and fall into a kneel on the floor. 

Scylla, she noticed, did the same. The Ravenclaw fell to her knees beside Raelle, her hand clutching her temple. Porter looked at them in confusion. 

Raelle couldn’t care less, the pain in her head becoming immense, a presence burrowed its way into her mind. 

_ Hello, residents of Hogwarts,  _ a ringing voice sounded. A quick look at Scylla confirmed that she could hear the voice as well. 

_ I’m sure you’re aware that the Spree have overtaken Hogwarts by now, and I bet you’re wondering why. The answer is simple. _

Raelle felt her heart drop. 

_ We are looking for Raelle Collar. Once we have her, we will leave the school without hurting anyone. _

Raelle looked at Scylla with wide eyes. Scylla met her gaze, her brows furrowed as she listened to the voice. 

_ However, she seems intent on hiding from us,  _ the voice echoed through her head.  _ I assure you, Raelle, that I won’t hesitate to kill one of your classmates to lure you out.  _

Raelle clenched her jaw, staring at the ground. Scylla reached over and grasped her hand in a small show of love.

_ But,  _ the voice said.  _ It doesn’t have to come to that. If you come to the Great Hall and surrender yourself, I’ll leave your friends unharmed. If you don’t?  _

Raelle held her breath as the man spoke. 

_ There will be consequences. If any student or professor would like us to leave, deliver Raelle Collar to me. You will be rewarded.  _

Scylla squeezed her hand harder. 

_ You have one hour before I start killing, Raelle. Starting with your Slytherin friend. The Bellweather.  _

And then, as soon as it had started, the voice was gone, and the presence had left her head. Raelle was left reeling, clenching her jaw and struggling to control her anger. 

“Raelle?” Scylla asked quietly, reaching out to take her shoulder. 

Raelle shook off her hand, unsure if she would be able to control herself. She could already feel her power bubbling to the surface, threatening to consume her in her anger. She had never felt more helpless than she did right now. Even when her mom died. 

A lamp behind them exploded, and Raelle tensed, fighting to push the power down, lest it overwhelm her and become dangerous. She wasn’t sure what she would do if she accidentally hurt Scylla. 

“Porter,” came Scylla’s warning voice to her left. It wasn’t directed towards her this time. 

Raelle jerked her head up, her fists clenching when she saw Porter standing over them. He brandished his wand with shaky hands, giving both of them threatening looks. “Stay where you are,” he said. 

Raelle couldn’t stop the growl that fell from her lips. 

Porter jerked his wand over to her. “I’m serious!” he warned. “Stay down!” 

Raelle looked up at him with rage-filled eyes, and Porter had the common sense to go pale at the look on her face. 

Without warning, Raelle had lifted her arm, calling on her power to pull Porter’s wand to her own hand. Raelle took the wand and snapped it cleanly in two, throwing the broken pieces on the ground. 

Porter looked at her in horror as Raelle began walking towards him, her eyes glowing a bright blue tinge. The piles of junk surrounding them seemed to shake as she passed, a reaction to the power radiating off of her. 

Scylla could only watch with wide eyes as Raelle held her arm up and one of the rusting swords shot into her grip. Raelle didn’t look away from Porter as she closed a tight fist around the handle, brandishing the blade at him as she got closer and closer. 

In his hurry to get away, Porter found himself cornered against one of the towers, struggling to find a way around a series of trunks piled on top of one another. 

He pressed his back against the trunks as Raelle approached, wincing as the tip of the sword pressed against his neck. 

“How did you get the Spree inside Hogwarts?” Raelle asked, no hint of mercy in her voice. It was clear the sword she held against his neck was no bluff. 

Porter swallowed, glancing up at Raelle’s glowing eyes. “The, uh,” he stuttered, struggling to form the words. “The vanishing cabinet.” 

Raelle simply quirked an eyebrow in a silent question, not removing the sword. 

Porter took in a shaky breath, lifting his hands in a sign of surrender. “There’s one cabinet in this room, and there’s another at the Spree base.” he explained. “I fixed the cabinet here and it allowed the Spree to travel through their cabinet and end up here. I don’t know where the base is, though. I swear.”

Raelle stared at him for a moment, as if deciding whether or not he was telling the truth. Evidently, she decided that he was being honest, eventually removing the blade from where it rested against his neck. 

Porter sighed with relief, almost collapsing as the blade was removed. “Thank you-” 

Raelle slammed the hilt of the sword into his temple, knocking him cleanly unconscious.

She stood there for a moment, dropping the sword to the ground with a loud clang and staring at Porter’s limp form. The power was leaving her. She could feel it slowly disappearing as the rage left her body, leaving only a cold feeling of helplessness in its place. 

“Raelle?” came Scylla’s voice from behind her. Raelle turned, looking at her with tearful eyes. 

“What am I gonna do, Scyl?” she whispered. 

Scylla took that as her cue to approach, wrapping Raelle in a warm hug. “It’s okay, Rae,” she said as Raelle crumpled into her. “We’ll figure it out.” 

Raelle shook her head, burying her face further into the crook of Scylla’s neck. “No, we won’t,” she mumbled, taking a shuddering breath. 

Raelle pulled away, meeting Scylla’s gaze with pained eyes. Scylla’s heart nearly broke at the sight of Raelle crying. “I have no  _ idea  _ what I’m doing,” Raelle said, running a hand through her hair. “They’re going to kill Abigail.” 

Scylla looked down. She had no idea what to do either. 

Raelle stood, pacing through the spaces between the piles of discarded junk. “God _ , _ this is so  _ fucked! _ ” she cried, kicking a chair to the floor. It landed with a loud bang against the concrete. 

She slumped, as if the weight of the situation was being pressed harder against her shoulders. “They’re going to kill Abigail.” she repeated quietly. 

Scylla pushed herself into a standing position, walking over to Raelle. She grabbed her hands, pulling her closer and forcing Raelle to look at her. “Listen,” she said. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do,” 

Raelle started to speak, but Scylla held up her hand, stopping her. 

“I want you to know something,” Scylla said, meeting Raelle’s eyes. “No matter what happens, I love you.”

Raelle’s eyes widened and the ghost of a smile tugged at her lips. She looked down for a moment before meeting Scylla’s gaze once again. “I love you, too.” she said quietly. 

Scylla smiled, tears pricking at her eyes. “We’re going to be fine.” she said, as if trying to convince herself more than Raelle. “ _ You’re  _ going to be fine.” 

Raelle said nothing. 

“ _ Raelle.”  _ Scylla pleaded. “Please. You’re going to be  _ fine _ .”

Raelle said nothing, just gave Scylla a small nod before she pulled away, running a hand through her hair. She looked back at Scylla once more, giving her a forced smile. “This means we’re girlfriends, right?” 

Scylla looked at her incredulously, laughing a little before nodding. “Yes, Raelle,” she said, shaking her head. “We’re girlfriends.” 

Raelle’s smile became slightly more genuine as she met Scylla’s eyes. Her face dropped, though, when she glanced down at Porter, still unconscious on the floor. She sighed. “C’mon, Scyl,” she said. “We have to get to the Great Hall.” 

Scylla narrowed her eyes. “Raelle, no.” she said. “You can’t go there, they’re waiting for you.” 

Raelle turned towards her. “What else are we supposed to do?” she asked. “Our friends are there, and they’ll die unless we do  _ something.” _

Scylla sighed. “I know, Rae, but we should at least think of a plan before you just hand yourself over.” 

Raelle started towards the door, retrieving her wand from her cloak as she walked. “I do have a plan,” she said. “I’m saving my friends.” 

Scylla withheld a groan, grabbing Raelle’s sleeve to pull her back. “ _ Raelle,  _ c’mon,” she begged. “You have to think before you run headfirst into danger.” 

Raelle sighed, allowing Scylla to pull her away from the door. “Fine,” she conceded. “Any ideas?” 

Scylla went quiet at that. 

Raelle swallowed. “Scylla, listen to me,” she said, gently placing her hand under Scylla’s chin and tilting her head up to meet her gaze. “There’s nothing else we can do. You know what has to happen.” 

Scylla felt tears prick her eyes again at the earnestness in Raelle’s face. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I won’t let you just walk to your death, Raelle. I can’t do that. I can’t lose you too.” 

Raelle closed her eyes, as if trying to compose herself. “You have to let me go, Scylla,” she told her. “There’s no way out.” 

Scylla shook her head again. “There is a way out,” she insisted. “We can fight. If we’re going to go down, we might as well take down a few Spree in the process. Together.”

Raelle hesitated, a small smirk crossing her lips. Closing her eyes, she nodded. “Fine.” she said. “We’ll fight.” 

Scylla nodded, not bothering to hide her tears as she locked eyes with Raelle. 

They kissed. It was fierce, passionate. As if it might be the last. Scylla tried not to dwell on the fact that it might very well be. 

As they made their walk to the Great Hall, Scylla struggled to maintain her conviction. All she longed to do was take Raelle to a secluded, safe place and wait out this entire mess. 

But she knew Raelle would never do that. She was a healer, like her mother. She couldn’t just sit around while people died, especially if there was something she could do about it. It just wasn't who she was. 

Sylla swallowed as they rounded a corner. They would be at the Great Hall soon, and Scylla could feel herself becoming more and more tense as they approached. Her wand was gripped tightly in her right hand, and when she glanced over, she saw that Raelle was doing the same. Scylla had never noticed how beautiful Raelle’s wand was. It was stark white, a stark contrast to the ebony of Scylla's. The design on the handle elaborate and detailed. It was long, too. The wand looked to be almost 11 inches, stretching out far from Raelle’s hand. 

It seemed to fit Raelle perfectly. 

They passed by the bathrooms. Only a few more hallways until they reached the Great Hall. 

Without warning, Raelle stopped, her footsteps ceasing to echo through the empty hallways. Scylla nearly stumbled into her, furrowing her brows as Raelle turned towards her with a somber expression. “Raelle?” Scylla asked. 

Raelle swallowed. “I love you, Scylla.” she said, eyes closed. 

“What-” 

“I hope you can forgive me for this.” Raelle interrupted, voice cracking. 

And then Raelle stunned her girlfriend, catching her as she fell limp in her arms. Raelle swallowed her tears and she gently leaned Scylla’s unconscious form against the far wall. 

She spared her girlfriend one last look, giving her a bittersweet smile before she turned and began to walk to the Great Hall. Alone.

At least, this way, Scylla would be safe.

* * *

For what felt like the millionth time, Abigail struggled against the men who were holding her down, growling and spitting as they pushed her against the ground. 

One of the men groaned as Abigail tried once again to free her arms, trying to strike him. “Boss, why can’t we just kill her now?” he asked, jerking his head back to avoid Abigail’s headbutt. 

The large man at the front of the Great Hall turned, fixing him with a glare. “Because,” he snapped. “I told Collar I would wait an hour, and it’s only been thirty minutes. I am a man of my word.” 

The other Spree agent groaned as Abigail struggled once again against his grip. “This girl’s more trouble than she’s worth.” 

The leader rolled his eyes, turning towards the men once again. “Fine.” he conceded, clearly displeased. “If the girl is too much for you to deal with, put her with the other hostages. We’ll retrieve her again when the hour is up.” 

Abigail stiffened at the news she would be released. That meant a real chance for escape. 

However, her plans to get away were quickly destroyed when the large men dragged her to her feet, unbothered by her struggling. They took her to where the rest of the class was crowded against the wall, closed off by a forcefield of sorts. 

The barrier seemed to open enough for the men to throw her to the tiles, quickly closing the exit behind her. 

Abigail groaned, pushing herself from the ground and meeting the eyes of the other students. Anacostia still lay unconscious next to the group, and she showed no sign of waking up any time soon. 

Tally jumped up from her crouched position, launching herself towards Abigail and giving her a tight hug. “Thank god,” Tally said, squeezing Abigail tighter. “You shouldn’t have struggled so much, they could have hurt you.” 

Abigail sighed, returning Tally’s hug. “I know,” she replied. “But I thought I might as well put up a struggle if they’re planning on killing me anyway.” 

Tally pulled away, gripping Abigail’s shoulders. Her eyes were shiny with tears. She opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to say wouldn’t come out. 

Abigail nodded in understanding, reaching out her own hand to grasp Tally’s. Tally closed her mouth, moving forward to embrace Abigail again. 

They stayed like that for a while, trying not to dwell on the limited time they had left. As much as Abigail acted unbothered and unafraid, Tally could feel how she trembled slightly. How her breathing became jilted and unsteady as more and more time passed. 

Tally just held her tighter, feeling completely helpless. There was nothing she could do to help Abigail, no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn’t help any of her friends right now. 

Raelle was faced with an impossible choice. Tally could only hope that she didn’t give herself up for their sake. 

However, as the yell of a Spree agent entering the Great Hall revealed, it seemed Raelle had done just that. 

Tally and Abigail separated, leaping to their feet and moving to the edge of the barrier. 

Raelle was being pushed roughly into the Great Hall by a pair of Spree agents. Her arms were held up in surrender, and her face was impassive as she passed through the doors. 

Raelle grunted as she was pushed to her knees, her wand taken from her pocket and thrown to the Spree leader. 

She glared up at the man as he slowly approached, twirling her wand between his fingers. She spared a quick glance at Tally and Abigail, meeting their eyes and quickly looking away, turning her gaze downward. 

“Raelle Collar,” the Spree leader said, his words echoing through the silent hall. “You’ve certainly caused a lot of trouble.” 

Raelle said nothing, but Tally could see how tense she was, the way her jaw clenched as the man spoke. 

“I’m pleased you saw reason, though,” he said, leaning down in front of her, almost tauntingly. “I was concerned that you would just let your friends die.” 

Raelle closed her eyes, still not looking up at the man. 

When he saw that she was not going to show any reaction, the Spree leader turned away with a disappointed sigh, waving to the Spree guards behind him. 

However, as the guards approached Raelle, Tally could see where something changed. Where Raelle had seemed defeated and resigned, she now saw determination. Just as the guards reached her, Tally could see how Raelle’s blue eyes glowed. 

And then, the guards were thrown back, flying through the air and slamming into the wall. Raelle stood, reaching out her hand and pulling her wand from the leader's hand. It shot through the air, right towards Raelle’s waiting hand. 

Raelle wasted no time, deflecting the curse of a Spree agent and shooting a stunning spell back at him. 

She dodged and deflected the attacks of the Spree around her, skillfully returning hexes and jinxes, taking out the two Spree guards relatively quickly. 

“ _ Expelliarmus!”  _ came the cry from the Spree leader, and suddenly, Raelle’s wand was flying from her hand. 

Raelle’s eyes seemed to grow a brighter blue at that, and she didn’t hesitate before using her powers to throw a stray table at the Spree leader. She didn’t wait to see if it hit him, running towards the crowd of Spree agents that were flooding through the doors of the Great Hall. 

With a cry of effort, she pushed them all back out the door, closing the door with a loud slam. She pulled more tables towards her, using them to barricade the door. 

Tally knew it wouldn’t hold them for long, but it might give Raelle enough time to find a way to release them. 

Raelle turned around from the door, barely dodging an attack from another Spree agent she hadn't seen before. She growled, pushing forward with her hands and sending him flying across the room. 

Raelle spared a glance at the corner where the Spree leader was still caught under the table she had thrown at him. Looking around and spotting no immediate threats, she sprinted towards the hostages, grabbing her wand from the ground as she did. 

“Guys!” she said, looking at the barrier with furrowed brows. “How do I take it down?”

Abigail and Tally exchanged panicked glances before looking back towards Raele. “I have no idea,” Abigail said. “Try anything, we don’t have a lot of time before the Spree is able to break through the door.” 

“I know!” Raelle said, eyes wide with panic. She pointed at her wand at the barrier, attempting a stunning spell, to no avail. She tried various charms against the forcefield, but nothing seemed to work. " _Alohamora!"_ she cried desperately, but nothing happened. Even the unlocking spell seemed to do nothing against the barrier.

“ _ Fuck _ !” Raelle yelled, stepping back from the barrier and throwing a fearful glance towards the door. The bangs outside were getting louder, and Tally could see that the tables were beginning to slide under the pressure of the Spree behind the door. 

Raelle turned back towards them, and Tally could see the fear in her eyes. She had no idea what to do, and neither did Abigail and Tally. They were trapped. 

“Raelle, you have to run.” Abigail said. 

“No!” Raelle said immediately. “They’ll kill you!” 

“I don’t care, Rae!” Abigail yelled. “You need to get out of here.  _ Now.”  _

Raelle looked at her friend, her jaw clenched. “I’m not leaving my friends behind.” she said quietly. 

Abigail seemed to slump a little, looking at Raelle with pained eyes. 

Raelle turned towards Tally as a gap formed between the doors of the Great Hall. The yells outside were getting louder, closer. “Listen, Tally,” she told her. “I need you to tell Scylla I’m sorry.” 

“Wait, Raelle, no-” Tally began, looking at her friend with wide eyes.

“No, no, no, just  _ listen. _ ” Raelle said, her voice cracking. “Tell her I’m sorry, and that I did what I did because I love her. Please tell her that.” 

Tally swallowed, struggling to withhold her tears. She nodded, flinching as one of the doors was hit with a particularly large hit. 

Raelle looked between both of them. “I’m sorry, guys,” she said quietly. “I love you.” 

Before Tally and Abigail could respond, a voice echoing through the room interrupted them. “ _ Crucio!”  _ came the familiar voice of the Spree leader. 

Raelle collapsed to the ground, a yell ripping its way from her throat as her entire body seized with pain. 

“Raelle!” Tally cried as Abigail yelled, “No!” 

Raelle groaned, obviously struggling to keep from screaming. The Spree leader approached from behind her, and he held the curse as he walked slowly towards her writhing form. 

“ _ That  _ was quite the show, Collar,” he said, smiling as Raelle groaned. He used one hand to dust himself off while maintaining the curse with the other. 

“Stop!” Tally screamed at the man, a sob ripping its way from her throat. 

“You’re holding it too long!” Abigail yelled. “You’ll kill her!” 

The man paid them no mind, moving his wand even closer to Raelle. 

Raelle’s agonized scream echoed through the room as the Spree finally broke through the doors of the Great Hall, pushing aside the tables. 

The leader continued for what felt like hours, until Raelle’s screams were the only thing Tally could hear.

Finally,  _ finally,  _ the leader released the curse, lowering his wand and leaving Raelle to slump over, trembling violently against the tile. 

“Raelle!” Tally yelled, pounding her fist against the barrier, tears pouring from her face. 

The Spree leader approached Raelle, using his toe to turn her over so that she was laying on her back. He smiled at her pained expression, her eyes glazed over as she stared up at the ceiling. 

Without a word, the leader reached down and picked up Raelle’s wand. He took a moment to examine the ornate handle before promptly snapping the wood in half. 

Raelle seemed to curl in on herself at the sound of her wand snapping. And Tally could feel her heart breaking as Raelle began to cry silent tears, still staring up at the ceiling. 

“C’mon,” the leader said, waving at the Spree agents that were flooding into the room. “We have what we came for. It’s time to go.” 

One of the agents stunned Raelle unconscious, and Tally and Abigail could only watch helplessly as their friend was hauled out of the room, the broken remains of her beautiful wand scattered across the floor of the Great Hall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHhhhh ANgst!! Please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoy!! As always, love reading you guys' comments!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group deals with the loss of their friend, and Raelle faces her captors.

Even hours later, after Tally and Abigail had been released along with the other hostages, Abigail hadn’t said a word. She only started at the ground silently, holding Tally’s hand tightly as they sat in the infirmary. 

They weren’t injured. In fact, they were completely unscathed, and yet Professor Anacostia insisted that they go. 

And then, Scylla was storming in. Her fury was unmatched, and Tally felt a sharp pain in her chest as she saw the tears pricking the corner of Scylla’s eyes.

“Where’s Raelle?” she asked, her voice cracking. She looked between Abigail and Tally, eyes desperate. 

Still, Abigail said nothing. She didn’t even look up. 

Tally only shook her head, fighting to keep the tears from escaping her own eyes.

Scylla shook her head violently. “No, no, no,” she muttered. “She’s fine, she’s still here. I told her she’d be fine.”

Tally could only watch as Scylla seemed to curl within herself, tears pouring down her face. “I told her she’d be fine, Tally,” the girl croaked. “ _ She has to be here.”  _

Tally moved forward, wrapping Scylla in a tight embrace as the girl broke down. Scylla sobbed, her body shaking violently as she held onto Tally like she was a lifeline.

Tally wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. It could have been hours, but Tally held onto Scylla the entire time. As much as Scylla needed her right now, Tally needed someone, too. She needed to cry for her friend, who had sacrificed herself for them. 

So they cried together, and when they had finally run out of tears, they still held onto each other.

When they finally separated, both of their eyes were puffy and red, and they were exhausted. 

They all slept in the infirmary that night, though none of them found any real rest. They were plagued by endless thoughts of Raelle and what had happened. Scylla found herself staring up at the ceiling for most of the night, thinking only of Raelle. Of what might be happening to her now. 

She recalled that first day they had in the infirmary. The first time they had kissed. She felt a familiar pain in her chest at the thought.

Scylla sighed. She was so useless. Raelle had been fighting off the Spree by herself while she was sitting unconscious in a hallway. The pain in her chest seemed to become more intense. 

She had seen the remains of Raelle’s wand. The splintered pieces of the white wood that laid on the floor of the Great Hall. The only sign that Raelle had been there at all. 

Scylla struggled to withhold a sob. 

Raelle was gone. She had no wand, no friends, and no way out. 

A shuddering gasp escaped Scylla’s lips, breaking the silence of the infirmary. 

She almost laughed. It was just like Raelle to try and handle things alone. To not let anyone help. She tried to handle everything by herself. 

Scylla couldn’t help but think about what she could’ve done, had she been there. Had she not been lying, useless, in the middle of a hallway when Raelle was facing the Spree alone. 

A fiery anger began to bloom in her chest. Anger at herself. Anger at Raelle. Anger at the Spree for hurting someone she loved. Someone who was so inherently  _ good.  _ Someone who would rather risk her own life than put Scylla in danger. 

Scylla sat and stared for hours, not even bothering to try and sleep. She knew nothing would come of it, no matter how she tried. Her thoughts were too muddled, her emotions too scrambled and messy. 

When the sun rose and Tally and Abigail began to sit up from the beds, Scylla still stared. It was only the constant pestering of Tally that eventually swayed her enough to stand from the bed. 

They walked to the Great Hall in silence, too wrapped up in their own thoughts to exchange any conversation. Abigail still hadn’t spoken a word, but she seemed to be a bit more put together than she had been yesterday. Today, at least, she kept her eyes focused forward and her posture flawless as she walked. It was typical, Scylla mused, that a Bellweather would put up the image of strength and indifference, regardless of how close she was to falling apart. 

Tally was clearly struggling as well, and Scylla could see the clench in her jaw, how tense she carried herself as they walked. Tally wasn't just upset, she was angry. 

Scylla sighed. 

They stepped into the Great Hall, and Scylla pretended not to notice the way both Tally and Abigail hesitated before walking through the doors. 

Scylla glanced around the room, withholding a wince as she noticed the burn marks covering the walls and the ruins of the massive wooden doors that used to cover the entrance. 

The long tables had been returned to their old positions, filling up most of the large room and giving a place for the students to eat breakfast. As they took a seat at the Hufflepuff table, Scylla clenched her jaw as she noticed the burn marks marring the stone floor. While the floor had clearly been cleaned since Raelle’s confrontation with the Spree, Scylla could still see small red stains marking the floor, as if reminding her that something terrible had happened here. 

Scylla silently piled some eggs on her plate. She didn’t feel like eating, if she was being honest, but she didn’t want to deal with Tally pestering her to eat something. There was no need for her to stress Tally out any further than she already was. 

“They didn’t kill her.” Abigail said, her voice raspy from disuse. Those were the first words she’d spoken since yesterday. 

Scylla looked up, the eggs turning to ash in her mouth. She forced herself to swallow, glancing over at Tally before she furrowed her brows. “What?” she asked. 

Abigail straightened, looking between them. “They didn’t kill her.” she repeated matter-of-factly. “That means there’s a chance she’s still alive.” 

Scylla swallowed. 

“We have to believe she’s still fighting, guys.” Tally said after a moment. “We have to believe she’s still alive. If we don’t, there’s no chance we get her back.” 

Scylla still said nothing. She couldn’t fight the hopelessness that washed over her as she thought about the situation. The odds that Raelle was still alive were astronomically low.

She’d been through this before. The denial. The desperate hope that maybe,  _ just maybe,  _ they had survived. If she looked hard enough, if she believed enough, maybe they would come back. 

Maybe her parents wouldn’t leave her alone. 

It was stupid, and foolish. 

“We have to talk to Professor Anacostia.” Abigail said. “We need to know what progress they’ve made in their investigation.” 

Scylla cleared her throat. “Have they arrested Porter?” she asked, eyes still focused on her plate. The eggs looked only unappetizing now. 

“Yeah,” Tally replied. “He confessed as soon as Anacostia sent him to the Ministry.” 

Scylla nodded her acknowledgement, remaining silent. 

Abigail sighed, glancing around the Great Hall. There weren’t many students there for breakfast. Many were too scared to leave their towers. 

“C’mon,” Abigail said, standing from her seat, pushing away her plate of food. Scylla noticed that Abigail had barely touched her food. She couldn’t blame her. “I think I saw Anacostia in the Defense classroom.” 

Tally hesitated for a moment, but she followed Abigail’s lead, standing up and turning towards Scylla expectantly.

Scylla sighed, pushing her plate away and forcing herself to stand. She really didn’t want to stand. She didn’t want to move at all. She wanted to sit there forever, until she eventually wasted away and she was able to see Raelle again. 

But she didn’t do that. She stood, pushing through her exhaustion and depression as she followed Tally and Abigail out of the Great Hall and towards the Defense classroom. Towards Professor Anacostia. 

* * *

The chains dug painfully into Raelle’s wrists as she was forced to kneel against the hard concrete of the dungeon. For once, she was grateful for the pants that the Hogwarts uniform required. At the very least, it kept her knees from being scratched against the hard ground. 

She swallowed, with difficulty. She didn’t know how long she’d been here, but her throat was dry and scratchy. She had yet to see anyone since she had awoken, and it was putting her more on edge if anything. 

The chains that kept her restrained were tightened enough that Raelle’s back was set in an uncomfortable position, and Raelle was quickly growing irritated as more time passed. Raelle’s restraints wrapped around her wrists, securing her to the ground through stakes planted in the concrete on either side of her. 

She was still confused as to why she was alive at all. As far as she knew, the Spree were intent on killing her, and right now, she was very much still alive. Albeit uncomfortable and thirsty, but alive. 

She still felt the loss of her wand in her soul. The wand had been rather important to her. She remembered going to Diagon Alley with her mother for the first time. She had been there when the wand had chosen Raelle in Ollivander’s wand shop. Her mama had congratulated her, wrapping her in a warm hug before paying for the wand and walking Raelle over to buy her uniform for class. 

She had cooed over Raelle for the rest of the trip, talking about how beautiful and well-made Raelle’s wand was. The wand was stark white, and rather long, considering how short and small Raelle was. The core was unicorn tail hair, and Raelle’s mom wouldn’t stop comparing it to her own, which had the same. 

Raelle had taken pride in it, had considered the wand one of the last connections she had to her mom. 

And now it was gone.

Raelle couldn’t help the bolt of anger that passed through her as she looked around the dank room for what felt like the millionth time. 

What was the point of all this? She knew what she was getting into when she had gone to the Great Hall, and yet this still wasn’t what she had expected. 

Once again, Raelle closed her eyes as she tried to summon her power, searching desperately for that familiar tug in her gut. It was no use, however. The position she was sat in made it difficult to focus, and she was exhausted and starving. Not to mention, she had already used a lot of her power when she battled the Spree in the Great Hall.

She snorted quietly.  _ That  _ had turned out well. 

At least her friends were safe. At least Scylla was safe. 

Raelle knew the girl probably hated her now, but Raelle could live with that. As long as she was alive and safe, Scylla could hate her all she wanted, regardless of how much it hurt Raelle to think about. 

In the weeks she had known Scylla, she had never had the same connection with anyone. There was no doubt in her head. She was absolutely in love with Scylla Ramshorn. 

It was the only thing that strengthened her resolve that she had done the right thing. There was no way she could let Scylla get hurt. 

And yet, this entire situation was so  _ fucked.  _ That prophecy must be bullshit, because Raelle didn’t feel very capable of destroying the entire Spree organization. She wasn’t even capable of standing right now. 

She didn’t withhold the groan that escaped her. The sound echoed through the empty room, and Raelle hoped it reached the ears of whoever was outside the door. She didn’t know how much longer she could handle this isolation, this crippling dread and anticipation. 

It took longer than she would have expected, but finally, a few minutes after she had groaned, the large metal door creaked open. 

Raelle stiffened, and the chains rattled slightly as she craned her neck forward, trying to see who was walking through the doorway. She could just barely see the outline of the figure, the dark of the cell too intense for her to make out any distinctive features.

And then a voice sounded through the cell. “ _ Lumos,”  _ called the gruff, deep voice of the man in front of her. 

Raelle blinked furiously as light flooded the cell, shrinking back as the man approached her, moving the his wand closer to her face. 

When Raelle finally grew used to the light, her eyes watering intensely as she turned her face towards it, she narrowed her eyes when she saw the familiar man in front of her. It was the Spree leader she had fought in the Great Hall. 

The one who had threatened her friends. Who had used the cruciatus curse on her. Who had broken her wand. 

Raelle felt her expression shift into an involuntary snarl as the man smiled down at her. “Raelle Collar,” the man said, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. “You’re looking a little worse for wear, I have to say.” 

Raelle didn’t respond, clenching her jaw. 

The man stood, moving the light at the end of his wand away from her face. He walked back towards the door, and Raelle furrowed her brows momentarily as she thought he was walking out of the cell. 

However, the man simply motioned for two more Spree guards to come into the room. Raelle swallowed as dread ran through her. The guards’ faces were impassive as they approached her, standing on either side of the man. 

Raelle tried to speak, wincing when her voice painfully cracked. She cleared her throat, looking up at the man with a glare. “Why am I still alive?” she croaked. 

The man said nothing, only extinguishing the light on his wand so that he could place a lit torch in a holder fixed against the wall. 

The dark cell was bathed in the orange light of the fire, illuminating the intense expression on the man’s face. 

Raelle’s stomach dropped. Suddenly, she wished she was alone again. 

The man ignored Raelle’s question, crouching so that he was face-to-face with Raelle. “I would like to know more about these friends of yours, Raelle.” he said. “While we aren’t going to kill you for now, your friends are still a threat.” 

Raelle growled at the mention of her friends, jerking against the chains. 

The man’s expression didn’t change. “You’re going to tell me all about them,” he told her. “Their weaknesses, their strengths, their attachments. Everything.” 

Raelle clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. She leaned in, bringing her face closer to the man’s. “Fuck. You.” she spat. 

The man chuckled, and Raelle moved back. “We’ll see how long that resolve lasts,” he said, waving to the guards.

Raelle didn’t have time to brace herself before a familiar pain washed over her. “ _ Crucio!”  _ yelled one of the guards, and the chains rattled loudly as Raelle spasmed. She writhed in her restraints, groaning against the agonizing pain. She refused to scream, though, biting her tongue to stop herself. 

She refused to give the man the satisfaction. 

After a few torturous moments, the pain finally faded, leaving Raelle hunched over and breathing heavily. There was silence as the man looked down at her thoughtfully. “Tell me about Abigail Bellweather,” he ordered after a moment. “What are her strengths and weaknesses?” 

Raelle took a shaky breath, forcing a laugh. She looked up at the man. “I’m not telling you  _ anything. _ ” she told him. 

Raelle braced herself for more pain as the man simply waved his hand at the guards again, but she cracked open an eye when it didn’t come. 

She sagged in relief as the guards’ wands lowered and a female voice echoed through the cell. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” the woman asked. 

Raelle narrowed her eyes. She recognized that voice, but when she looked up at the women, her nose and mouth were covered. 

The man seemed to stiffen, turning to the woman. “Interrogating the prisoner, ma’am,” he stuttered, and suddenly, he didn’t seem nearly as calm. “We don’t have enough intel on her friends to ensure the security of the Spree-” 

“And who said you were allowed to interrogate the prisoner without me?” the woman asked, her voice sharp. 

The man swallowed. “I just thought-” 

The woman interrupted him, raising a hand in the air to silence him. “Enough.” she said. “I’ll speak to you later about your punishment.” 

The man tensed, but he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

“Get out of my sight,” she ordered, and the man scrambled to leave, followed closely by the two guards. 

Raelle furrowed her brows as the woman turned to her, eyes softening.  _ Why  _ did those eyes look so familiar? 

Raelle’s chains rattled slightly as she struggled against her restraints once again. The woman walked over to her, and Raelle couldn’t help the way she flinched away from the woman as she kneeled down in front of her. 

“I’m so sorry about all this, Raelle,” she said, and Raelle’s eyes widened. 

_ No.  _

“I told them not to hurt you, but clearly not everyone listens.” 

_ It can’t be.  _

Raelle recognized that voice. 

Raelle felt her entire world stop as the woman removed her coverings, revealing a painfully familiar smile. When Raelle met the woman’s eyes, her own blue irises stared back at her. 

“Hi, baby girl,” Willa Collar said, reaching out to cup Raelle’s cheek. 

Raelle stared into her dead mom’s eyes. And she cried. 

* * *

“Ladies, please,” Anacostia said, pacing around her room and collecting papers and various materials. “I don’t have time for this. Parents are going insane, they all want to pull their kids from Hogwarts, and unfortunately, I’m the one who has to deal with all the paperwork.” 

Abigail followed her around the classroom, a determined expression covering her face. Tally and Scylla lingered by the door. “This is more important, Professor,” Abigail said. “We need to know your progress in finding Raelle.”

Anacostia sighed, turning to face them. “Girls,” she said, giving them solemn looks. “We turned over the case to the Ministry.” 

“ _ What?”  _ asked all three of the girls. 

Anacostia set down her mountain of papers and turned her full attention towards them. “We turned the case over to the Ministry,” she repeated. “I’m just as worried about Raelle, and I agree that we need to find her, but our hands are full.” 

“Your  _ hands are full? _ ” Scylla asked incredulously, walking into the classroom and fixing Anacostia with an angry look. “That’s your excuse for not looking for Raelle? She’s in danger, Professor, and you know  _ damn well  _ that the Ministry is going to jack shit to find Raelle.”

“Language, Ramshorn,” Anacostia snapped, but she seemed to hesitate at Scylla’s words. 

“Please,” Scylla snorted, beginning to feel anger rapidly replace the hopelessness that had taken root inside her. Raelle was in danger, and there was a chance she could be alive. However  _ busy  _ they were, they needed to find her girlfriend. “The Ministry will ignore this case for  _ months _ until it’s acceptable to quietly declare it unsolved, and then they’ll eventually file Raelle’s name in a giant cabinet full of other ‘unsolved’ cases.” 

Anacostia kept her face impassive, but Scylla could see the clench of her jaw and how tightly she gripped the edge of her desk. 

“By then,” Scylla continued, her voice lowering. “Raelle will be  _ dead.”  _

The room went silent, and everyone ignored the way Scylla’s voice cracked when she spoke. 

Anacostia swallowed, and she straightened. “I care about Raelle just as much as you,” she insisted, and Scylla clenched her jaw but said nothing. “If I could, I would be out there searching for her myself, but it’s out of my hands. As a Professor, it’s my responsibility to serve the headmaster, and Alder insisted that we give the case to the Ministry.” 

Tally stepped forward, arms crossed and eyes shining with anger. “And where was Alder when the Spree were attacking Hogwarts?” she asked. “Where was she when Raelle was fighting dozens of Spree agents  _ alone?”  _

Anacostia seemed to hesitate. “The Ministry called her to a meeting.” she said. 

Abigail rolled her eyes. “Right,” she said. “And while she was discussing budgets and the learning curriculum, Hogwarts was being attacked and its students hurt.” 

Silence consumed the room. That was the fact of the matter. Alder wasn’t here to protect the school, and now one of her students was missing. And she was doing nothing to find her. 

Anacostia seemed to slump. “You’re right,” she sighed, reaching a hand up to rub her forehead. 

“So you’ll help us?” Abigail asked, eyes narrowed expectantly. 

Anacostia took a deep breath. “There’s genuinely not much I can do,” she admitted. “Much of the case was kept from me before it was handed to the Ministry.” 

Scylla rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort, but Anacostia interrupted. “But,” she said. “I know that they’re about to deliver the vanishing cabinet to the Ministry. It’s being held in the north tower on the seventh floor.” 

The group exchanged glances, nodding at each other and turning to leave the room. 

“Girls,” Anacostia called as they began to leave. “You won’t be able to travel through the cabinet, it’s been too damaged.” 

Abigail let out a loud groan. 

“But it still holds traces of magic, and possibly traces of where the other cabinet is,” Anasotia continued, ignoring Abigail. She turned towards Scylla. “If you were really able to see who placed the curse on the bludger, you should be powerful enough to find the other cabinet.” 

Scylla held her gaze for a moment before nodding and walking out the door, followed closely by Tally and Abigail. 

They made their way to the tower in silence. Scylla retrieved her wand from her cloak, holding it like a lifeline as they walked up the stairs towards the seventh floor. 

Scylla struggled to stay focused as they walked. Raelle was in trouble and she had been willing to do nothing. She was just going to sit around and waste away while Raelle was being held captive by a deadly terrorist organization. 

What kind of girlfriend was she?

It was only anger she felt as they approached the north tower. She was furious at herself for being useless, furious at Alder for allowing this to happen, and furious at Raelle for being stupidly self-sacrificing. 

No longer was she going to be useless. Scylla was going to find her girlfriend, and she was going to slap her for being so stupid. 

Suddenly, she found herself faced with the familiar cabinet as she and her friends walked through the door of the tower. 

She swallowed, gripping her wand tighter as she approached. Tally and Abigail lingered by the door, watching Scylla carefully as she walked towards the cabinet. 

Silently, Scylla pointed her wand at the front of the cabinet, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

Murmuring silently to herself, Scylla called on her magic, willing the cabinet to show her where its partner was. The cabinet was surrounded in a purple glow as Scylla pushed harder, allowing all her magic to flow through her wand and towards the cabinet. 

And then Scylla was thrown back from the cabinet, landing hard against the stone floor with a grunt. 

She dropped her wand and blinked a couple times as Abigail and Tally rushed immediately over. “Scylla,” Tally said, leaning down next to her. “Are you okay?” 

“What happened?” Abigail asked, narrowing her eyes at the smile that seemed to cross Scylla’s face.

The Ravenclaw looked up at them with a smirk. “I found where the other cabinet is.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading!! Drop me a comment or kudos if you enjoy, I thrive off of validation!!! Thanks!!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle confronts her mother and finds that Willa's time with the Spree has changed her. Scylla, Abigail, and Tally work to rescue their friend.

“Mama?” Raelle could only croak as Willa moved closer, giving the girl an awkward hug around the chains that still secured her firmly against the ground. “I...What?” 

Her mom pulled back, her eyes shining with tears as she stared at her daughter. “I missed you so much, honey,” she said. “I’m so sorry about all this-” 

“All this?” Raelle asked incredulously, anger creeping into her voice. “All this? Mama, I’m literally chained to the fucking floor. And what the hell is going on? How are you alive? Why are you here? Why are they listening to you?” 

Raelle couldn’t help the angry tears that poured down her face as her voice rose. Her mom was alive. And she was with the Spree. She _led_ the Spree.

Willa swallowed. “Honey, you have to understand that I did what I did in order to free witches and wizards around the world. To free you.” she said. “I had to die so that no one would suspect what I was really doing.”

“You faked your death so you could join the Spree _?” _ Raelle cried. “You joined the people that kill muggles? People like Pa?” 

Willa’s face seemed to darken. “We do more than that,” she said. “We’re helping to fight against the oppression of witches and wizards-” 

“Cut the Bullshit, Mama,” Raelle scoffed, looking at her mom in horror. “The Spree has killed  _ thousands.  _ They nearly killed me.  _ You _ nearly killed me.”

Willa frowned. “I would never hurt you, honey,” she insisted. “I didn’t approve that bludger nonsense, not at all.” 

“Then what about the attack on Hogwarts?” Raelle asked, trying her best to control the anger that was bubbling up. “What about when my friends nearly died? What about when that dickhead tortured me and  _ broke my wand?”  _

Willa clenched her jaw. “He did what was necessary to bring you back to me.” she said, though Raelle could detect a hint of remorse. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

Raelle looked at her mother in disbelief. “How could you do this?” she whispered. “We thought you were dead.” 

She jerked against the chains, her eyes shining with fury. “We mourned you!” she yelled. “I  _ mourned you!”  _

Willa stepped back from her daughter, as if surprised by her reaction. “Raelle, you need to calm down-” 

“I will not  _ calm down!”  _ Raelle screamed. The walls seemed to shake as anger consumed Raelle and her power flared up. “I thought my mother was dead! You left Pa alone! You left us both alone! What, so you could chase some stupid fantasy about destroying the Ministry?” 

Willa’s eyes narrowed. 

“Newsflash!” Raelle cried, jerking against her chains and ignoring the pain that flared through her wrist as she did. “The Spree is nothing but a bunch of glorified murderers! You kill innocent people!” 

The chains became to rattle dangerously as Raelle’s power lashed out and her eyes began to grow a bright blue. 

Willa stepped back again, her eyes wide as she looked at her daughter in shock and fear. 

“I thought my mama was a good woman,” Raelle continued, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Willa. “She was a healer. She saved people.” 

Willa swallowed, conspicuously reaching into the folds of her cloak to grab her wand. 

The chains broke with a loud snap and Raelle stood, her eyes still glowing that dangerous blue and the walls shook as she stared down her mother. 

“I was always proud of my mama,” Raelle continued, taking a step forward. The chains still hung from her wrists, rattling as Raelle walked towards Willa. “Not anymore.” 

And Raelle screamed, lunging towards Willa at the same time Willa took out her wand and pointed it towards her daughter. 

* * *

Scylla couldn’t help the anxiety that ran through her as they flew through the night air. The chill of the wind did nothing to comfort her growing worry, and she shrunk into Raelle’s hoodie closer as she shivered. 

They had decided to leave under the cover of night, meeting at the quidditch pitch after curfew and stealing a few brooms from the broom closet. 

Tally had gotten the hang of flying pretty easily, but Scylla had much more trouble. Flying had never been her strong suit, and she wasn’t the best about heights in the first place. 

But, for Raelle, she had forced herself onto the broom and into the air after Abigail. 

They were flying to Porter’s family manor, as Scylla had seen when she spelled the vanishing cabinet. 

Thankfully, it wasn’t too far from the Hogwarts campus, a couple hours from the castle by air. 

Scylla took the lead now as they flew, peering down in the trees for a view of the isolated mansion they were looking for. Evidently, Porter had lied when he told them he didn’t know where the Spree base was. 

That, or he genuinely didn’t know that his house was being used as a Spree compound while he was away at school. 

Scylla scowled as she thought of Porter. His family had had ties to the Spree for a while, yet the Ministry refused to look into them further because of their money and influence over the wizarding world. 

She had to admit, the Spree had a point when they talked about how corrupt and incompetent the Ministry was. However, the Spree was just as bad, considering they literally killed thousands since their attacks had began. 

And they kidnapped her girlfriend. 

Scylla’s knuckles turned a stark white against the dark wood of the broomstick. 

“There!” came Abigail’s voice over the roaring wind. 

Scylla glanced around to see where she was pointing. Squinting, Scylla could barely make out the large manor through the thick trees that surrounded the property. But it was definitely the place they were looking for. 

Scylla swung low and into the trees, struggling to fly straight as Abigail and Tally followed closely behind her. 

Shockingly, Scylla was able to land without crashing into the ground, and she dismounted her broom on shaky legs. She stretched her stiff muscles as Abigail and Tally landed beside her and did the same. 

Scylla was worried her fingers might snap right off, they were so numb from the freezing cold wind. 

Glancing around, Scylla was satisfied that they were properly hidden within the thick trees of the forest. Peeking through the trees, she could see the clearing that led all the way to the manor. 

Turning back towards Abigail and Tally, she gave them both a nod. 

They joined her at the edge of the treeline, studying the layout of the manor. 

It didn’t seem like there were any guards on patrol outside, but there was no doubt a large amount of Spree inside. 

They had the element of surprise, which was a plus, but that wouldn’t last long. On top of that, they didn’t know where Raelle was being held, which meant they had to account for time spent searching the manor for their friend. 

Scylla hoped Raelle was here. She hoped Raelle was alive. She wasn’t sure if she could handle another loss. 

Abigail studied the property and the layout of the manor, scratching her chin thoughtfully as she started planning. 

Scylla and Tally waited patiently for the game plan while Abigail muttered to herself. Abigail was undoubtedly the best person to plan their attack, considering it was her mother that was used to dealing with Spree. Not to mention, Abigail herself had always had a talent for strategy. Absolutely no one could beat her at wizard’s chess, not even Scylla. Not for lack of trying on her part, though. 

“Alright, I think I’ve got a rough plan,” Abigail said after a few moments. “We don’t have a ton of time or resources, so this is going to have to work.” 

Tally and Scylla nodded, ready to listen to the plan. 

“Okay, our best option is remaining stealthy,” Abigail said. “So we need to try not to be seen. It looks like there’s an unguarded window on the second floor. We can sneak in through there and stay hidden while we search for Raelle.” 

“What if we run into trouble?” Tally asked.

Abigail shrugged. “We take care of it,” she said matter-of-factly. “You remember the hexes and stuff I taught you. We take care of any guards quickly and quietly, and we get Raelle out of there as fast as we can.” 

“And if we can’t handle it?” Scylla asked quietly. 

Abigail sighed. “Then we improvise and pray it goes well.” 

“Solid.” Scylla replied sarcastically, slumping a bit. 

Abigail swallowed. “Look, our friend is in there, and she needs our help,” she said. “Even if we don’t have the best plan, we  _ will  _ rescue Raelle, got it?” 

Tally and Scylla met Abigail’s eyes and nodded, their faces becoming determined. 

And so, under the cover of the darkness, the three of them made their way from the tree line towards the side of the house, approaching the second floor window. 

* * *

Raelle grunted as a quick stunning spell threw her back, leaving her sprawled against the concrete ground of the cell. 

Her and her mom had been battling for a while now, and when she looked around the room, she could see the scorch marks and cracks marring the wall. 

Raelle groaned, bringing a hand up to clutch her head. Her mom was kicking her ass, if she was being honest. There was only so much Raelle could do without a wand and without any energy to fuel her powers for very long. She was exhausted.

On top of that, Willa Collar was apparently a very talented dueler. 

“Are you ready to listen, yet, Raelle?” Willa asked, a sharpness in her voice that Raelle had never heard before. “There’s a place here for you, right next to me.” 

Raelle grit her teeth, pushing herself off the ground. She bit her tongue to withhold a grimace as she stood, favoring her right leg. She was bruised and bleeding all over, her mother having thrown her around the room and hitting her with various hexes and jinxes. 

Raelle couldn’t help the wince that she released when her cloak rubbed wrong against the burn on her side. 

She growled at her mom, noticing that the woman had a few injuries herself, though not nearly to the level Raelle did. 

“I will never join the Spree,” Raelle spat. “Unlike you, I love Pa.” 

Willa narrowed her eyes and she pointed her wand at Raelle once again. “ _ Diffindo!”  _ Willa cried, and Raelle couldn’t shield herself as yet another tear formed in her cloak and cut into her skin. 

She cried out, falling to her knees. This woman was not the mother she had known. The year with the Spree had changed Willa Collar. Had hardened her. Had made her a violent and cruel woman. 

Raelle looked up at her mom with teary eyes, blood dripping from the multiple cuts marring her abdomen. “Mama,” she rasped. “Why are you doing this?” 

Willa seemed to soften almost immediately, leaning down in front of Raelle and cupping her cheek with a gentle hand. Raelle couldn't help but flinch away. The woman’s sudden change in attitude was unsettling, and Raelle felt a wave dread run through her when WIlla’s eyes darkened. “I want you to be with me, honey,” she said. “I want us to do this together. We can free the wizarding world  _ together _ .”

Raelle looked up at her in disbelief. “Mama,” she said, voice cracking, “You know that can never happen.” 

Willa’s face darkened even further, but Raelle continued. 

“You’ve changed, Mama,” she said. “We've both changed. I can’t just join the Spree because my mom told me to.” 

Willa abruptly stood. She tightened her hold on her wand, and Raelle was surprised that she was becoming more and more afraid of her mom. She was clearly unstable right now, and Raelle was exhausted and bleeding profusely. Panic shot through Raelle as her mom turned to face her with near-crazed eyes. 

“Mama,” Raelle whispered, her voice cracking. 

“It's okay, honey,” WIlla said, pointing her wand at her daughter yet again. “I’m going to make this a lot easier for both of us.”

Raelle stumbled back, trying to dodge the point of the wand, but Willa simply moved closer to her. Raelle could see the start of tears forming in her mom’s eyes. Raelle felt her stomach drop as she met eyes with Willa. “I’m sorry, baby,” her mom said quietly, backing Raelle against the far wall of the cell. 

“Mama, please, don’t-” 

“ _ Imperio!”  _

And then Raelle felt a feeling of overwhelming calm wash over her, and she couldn’t feel any of the pain she had felt before. She relaxed, and as her mom approached her, arms outstretched for a hug, Raelle let go. 

And then she could barely feel anything anymore. She could barely remember where she was,  _ who  _ she was. 

All that mattered was the blissful feeling washing over her, taking away all her grief and her pain and her worries. 

She listened to the soft voice in the back of her head when it told her to follow her mother out of the cell.

It was like her ears were stuffed with cotton and her senses muted, and soon the soothing voice was the only thing she could hear

* * *

Things went wrong pretty fast. 

They had been able to navigate the second floor relatively easily, taking out about five guards and stashing them in various closets and bedrooms. 

And then they reached the first floor. 

And then everything went to shit. 

A guard had seen them as they were descending the stairs into a long hallway, and they made a bit too much noise when Scylla stunned him and he went flying into the wall with a loud bang, forming a massive crack in the drywall. 

The three of them exchanged glances as they heard the alarmed yells of other Spree guards, and they immediately bolted into the room to the right, which seemed to be a large bedroom. 

Tally and Abigail jumped into the small closet on the far wall, while Scylla crawled under the bed. She cringed as the door slammed open, and she knew that this was going to end badly. 

They would immediately check the closet, she knew. And after that, the bed would be next. There was only one thing to do. 

Scylla grasped the handle of her wand as she watched three pairs of feets step into the room, their boots sounding loudly against the hardwood floor. 

Just as one of the men began to head towards the closet, Scylla grit her teeth and pushed herself out from under the bed, stunning the first man as soon as he was in her sight line. 

However, as one of the men went flying into the side desk of the bed, the other immediately disarmed her with a quick “ _ Expelliarmus!”  _

Scylla grunted as she was hauled to her feet, held tightly in the grips of the other two wizards. 

“Let’s take her to Willa,” one of the men said to the other, and Scylla growled at them, struggling to get free. “She’ll want to know about this one.” 

The closet door cracked open, and thankfully, Scylla was the only one who saw Abigail peeking her head out.

As Scylla was pushed out the door, she subtly shook her head at the Bellweather, signalling that they shouldn’t reveal their presence. Not yet. 

Scylla swallowed as she was hauled down the hallway. Their plan had gone sideways, but at least Abigail and Tally hadn’t been caught. That gave them a chance to find Raelle and get out while they still could. 

Scylla hoped they could get out. She wasn’t sure she could live with herself if they got hurt because of her.

She struggled in the men’s grip once again, but she knew it was useless. They were much larger than her, and they still had her wand. Even if she could get away, she wouldn’t get far. 

She was pulled along the hallways, winding through the massive mansion. Scylla didn’t see anyone else, but she had a feeling that there were many more Spree agents milling around. She shuddered at the thought. 

Finally, they came to a stop in front of a pair of massive wooden doors, and Scylla couldn’t help the feeling of dread that rocked through her as one of the guards reached a fist up to knock. 

“Come in,” came a muffled female voice from inside, and panic shot through her as the doors creaked open. She was going to die. 

She hoped Raelle made it. 

And then she saw what was waiting inside. 

And Scylla felt her heart shatter. 

A woman leaned over a bed, tending to an injured girl lying prone on the mattress. Scylla had to bite her tongue when she saw that it was  _ Raelle. _

Her midsection was a mess of bloody gashes, and her robes were torn and dirty. Scylla’s expression became pained when she saw the multiple scratches and bruises that littered her girlfriend’s body. The worst was her eyes. They were glossy and unseeing, as if she wasn’t really there. 

“Raelle,” she whispered before she could stop herself, leaning towards the bed unconsciously. The iron grips of the guards stopped her from going any further than a step. 

The woman looked up, and Scylla tore her eyes away from her injured girlfriend. Why wasn’t Raelle moving? Why wasn’t she fighting? 

Why hadn’t she noticed Scylla?

“You know Raelle.” the woman said, nodding her head towards Scylla and narrowing her eyes. It wasn’t a question. 

Scylla snarled at the woman. “Let her go,” she said coldly. 

The woman looked up at her and, much to Scylla’s outrage, she chuckled. Standing from the bed, she waved her hand at the guards, and suddenly, Scylla was free of their grips. The guards handed the woman Scylla’s wand before exiting the room, leaving Scylla and the woman alone.

Scylla narrowed her eyes as the woman twirled her wand between her fingers. She couldn’t help the way her gaze flitted to Raelle’s form on the bed every so often. 

Why wasn’t she getting up? 

“How do you know her?” the woman asked, turning her attention towards Scylla and fixing her with a sharp look. 

Scylla scowled at the woman. “It doesn’t matter,” she replied icily. “Let her go.” 

The woman raised her brow. “Doesn’t it?” she asked. 

Without warning, she was pointing Scylla’s own wand at her. “ _ Crucio!”  _ she cried, and then Scylla was collapsing on the floor as agony washed over her. She let out a pained scream as the woman moved closer, giving her a grim smile as Scylla writhed against the wood floors. 

And then, as soon as it started, it was over, and Scylla was left gasping for breath as the pain abruptly ceased. 

The woman looked down at her, narrowing her eyes. “I suggest you tell me what I want to know, girl.” she spat.

Scylla glared up at her, still trying to recover from her curse. Is this how Raelle had felt? Tally had told her what happened in the Great Hall, how the Spree had tortured her girlfriend for _minutes_ while she and Abigail were powerless to help. 

She clenched her jaw at the thought. 

“ _ How do you know my daughter?”  _ the woman asked, her voice laced with venom. 

_ Daughter?  _

Scylla didn’t even have time to dwell on it before the cruciatus curse was racking her body once again and she was screaming, slamming her fists into the floor as excruciating pain shot through her. 

Why wasn’t Raelle doing anything? Scylla was screaming, writhing on the floor, and still Raelle lay motionless on the bed. 

The pain stopped again, and Scylla slumped over against the ground, groaning. “How do you know her?” Raelle’s mother asked again, pointing Scylla’s wand threateningly. 

Scylla took in a shaky breath, looking up at Willa. “I’m Raelle’s girlfriend.” she spat. 

The woman’s face soured, and she stared down at Scylla with hard eyes. Scylla stared right back, her eyes flickering with rage, holding Willa’s gaze. 

Finally, Willa lowered her wand, and Scylla released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She retreated, returning back to Raelle’s bedside. “Well, this certainly complicates things, doesn’t it, honey?” she spoke softly to Raelle, stroking her blonde hair lovingly. 

Scylla stared at the exchange with alarmed eyes. Raelle remained completely still, not even reacting to the fact that her dead mom was stroking her hair and looking at her with loving eyes. 

It was...creepy, if Scylla was being honest. 

She forced herself to stand on shaky legs, her eyes never leaving Willa. “What-What did you do to her?”Scylla asked, furrowing her brows as she glanced at Raelle’s empty eyes. 

Willa looked up at her, the woman’s hands still stroking her daughter’s hair. Raelle’s blonde locks were messy, her braids undone and her hair spotted with dirt and grime. “I made her decision easier,” Willa responded. “I’m sure you can figure it out, girl.” 

She looked back down at her daughter, leaving Scylla to stare at her with horrified eyes. “No,” she whispered. “You wouldn’t.” 

Willa said nothing. 

“Your own daughter?” Scylla asked, her eyes wide with horror. “You used the imperious curse on your own  _ fucking daughter?”  _

Willa hummed quietly, still not looking up at her. 

It was answer enough. 

Scylla didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to react. How the fuck was she supposed to save Raelle, now? Her girlfriend was a prisoner of her own mind because of her own mother. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered, looking at Willa with wide eyes, full of horror. 

She could only stare helplessly as Willa stood, waving her wand at Raelle as if it was an afterthought. Raelle stood from the bed, not even reacting to the wounds littering her entire body that Willa had yet to heal. “I’m doing this because I love my daughter,” the woman said, glaring at Scylla. “I joined the Spree for her because I don’t believe in the Ministry. It’s corrupt and dangerous. And Raelle agrees, even if she refuses to admit it.”

If it weren’t for the glazed over look in Raelle's eyes, Scylla wouldn’t think anything was even wrong. Her motions seemed casual and regular. As if she wasn’t being controlled by another person. As if she wasn’t a slave to the whims of someone else.

Scylla choked a little as she met her girlfriend’s empty eyes. “Why haven’t you healed her?” Scylla croaked, her eyes flitting down to Raelle’s bloody abdomen and all over her bruised and battered body.

Willa glanced over at her daughter, wincing a little as she saw how many injuries littered her body. “The imperious curse takes focus and willpower to resist,” she told Scylla with a frown. “I have no doubt that my girl has the will to resist such a curse. She’s plenty stubborn.” 

Scylla clenched her jaw, realizing what Willa was implying. She couldn’t help the wave of anger that washed over her as she stared into Raelle’s blue eyes.

“If I healed Raelle completely,” Willa continued. “She’d be strong enough to break free.” she turned her head back towards Scylla, her eyes narrowed. “Believe me, I hate it as much as you do, but it’s necessary. I took away all the pain, of course. Raelle isn’t feeling any of these injuries.”

Scylla snarled at the woman. She was ready to kill this bitch, nevermind the fact that she didn’t have a wand. At this point, Scylla didn’t care, clenching her hands into fists. 

Just as she was about to stupidly launch herself at the armed and dangerous Spree leader, the doors flew off their hinges, exploding into the room and forcing Scylla to crouch down against the ground to dodge. 

Scylla felt her spirits lift as Abigail and Tally stormed into the room, their wands raised. 

“Give us our friend,” demanded Abigail, pointing her wand at WIlla, who was collapsed on the ground. She hadn’t noticed Raelle standing in the corner of the room, having retreated back after her friends had walked in.

“Wait, Abigail-” Scylla tried, but she was interrupted by Abigail’s yell as she went flying backwards, landing bodily against the back wall. 

“Abigail!” Tally yelled as her friend was thrown back. She jerked her head around towards Willa, her brows furrowing when she saw that the woman was still on the ground, her wand laying a few feet away next to the ruined doors. 

Willa gave her a smug smile, and Tally barely had any time to duck as the side table came flying towards her head. Tally whipped her head around, her eyes widening as she noticed Raelle stepping out from behind the bed and approaching her mother.

“Raelle!” Tally called, looking at her friend in shock and fear. 

Raelle paid her no mind, stepping over the collapsed door and wordlessly helping her mother to her feet, handing her the wand she had picked up from the floor.

“She’s imperiused,” Scylla called over to Tally, noting that Abigail was still recovering, leaning against the wall and clutching her temple in pain. 

Tally furrowed her brows, glancing at Raelle and realizing how empty her normally expressive eyes were. Where there had once been passion and fury, there was now nothing. 

Willa dusted herself off, looking over at the girls with narrowed eyes. “Well, that was dramatic,” she said with a snort. 

Abigail forced herself to stand, joining Scylla and Tally as they faced the woman. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, a crease in her brows as she scowled at Willa. “Who even are you?” 

Willa sighed, glancing back at her daughter. Scylla might have imagined it, but when she peered into the woman’s eyes, she thought she saw a twinge of regret. A hint of guilt as she looked at her injured and helpless daughter. 

Scylla frowned. She couldn’t kill Raelle’s mom, regardless of how unstable she now seemed. Raelle would never forgive her, especially if there was a possibility of saving Willa, of helping her. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Scylla tried, a pained expression passing across her face. “You know this isn’t what Raelle wants. She still loves you, you know.” 

Abigail and Tally shot her confused looks, but she ignored them, focused on Willa.

“But if you keep going, if you don’t let her go,” Scylla warned. “She’ll never forgive you. You’ll never get your daughter back.” 

Tally gasped, looking at the woman with a new perspective. It was Raelle’s mother that was doing this. Her  _ dead  _ mother. 

Apparently not as dead as they thought. 

Scylla glanced over to her friends, noting Tally’s hand hovering over her mouth and Abigail’s shell shocked expression. 

She looked back at Willa, her eyes trained on her face. Looking for any sign of wavering, of changing her mind and letting her daughter go. 

Willa stared back at her, her wand pointed directly towards her chest. Scylla tried to ignore the way her stomach dropped when Willa’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know anything,” she said finally. “You don’t know  _ my daughter  _ better than me.” 

Scylla raised her hands in surrender. “But I know that what you’re doing right now will only push her further away,” she replied, her eyes trained on the tip of the woman’s wand, which glowed a faint green. “Let her go, and we can talk, we can work this out without anyone getting hurt.” 

Willa stiffened, hesitating. Just enough to confirm that the woman had her doubts about what she was doing. 

And then that moment was over, and Scylla’s eyes widened as Willa’s face darkened and she seemed to make a decision. 

“ _ Stupefy!”  _ she cried, and the stunning spell hit Scylla directly in the chest. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scylla, Abigail, and Tally fight to save their friend, and Willa makes a mistake.

She could hear the cries of Abigail and Tally, as well as the yells of the ensuing duel. Scylla couldn’t focus on anything, though. The pain in her chest was too great, and her head hurt from where she had slammed into the wall. 

Her vision tilted as she forced herself to look over at her friends. She could barely make out Abigail and Tally furiously exchanging spells between Willa. Raelle stood to the side, occasionally throwing various pieces of furniture at her friends when Willa had enough of a breather to control her daughter's actions. 

Blinking hard, Scylla grit her teeth as she pushed against the ground, trying her best to lift herself from the floor. 

Willa still held her wand, tucked securely into the waistband of her pants, but Scylla knew her friends needed her help, even if she couldn’t do much. 

She groaned, forcing herself to stand. Clutching her temple in pain, Scylla stumbled forward, trying her best not to fall over completely. 

Abigail cried out as Willa sliced a gash into her side, stumbling onto her knees. Tally ran over to her, desperately blocking Willa’s spells with a sloppy swipe of her wand. 

However, she was unable to dodge Raelle’s attack. Raelle approached, her face impassive as she reached her hands out towards the pair. 

Tally yelled as she was seized by Raelle’s powers and thrown back towards the wall. Scylla cringed as she heard a sickening crack, and Tally fell to the floor, limp. 

“ _ Impedimenta!”  _ Abigail cried out, forcing herself off the floor and desperately pointing her wand at her friend. 

Raele promptly tripped and fell on her face, and Scylla had never been so grateful to see her girlfriend fall.

Scylla rushed over to Abigail's side as she desperately deflected Willa’s attacks, struggling to maintain her shield against the bombardment of spells.

“Abi!” Scylla cried as she fell into step beside her friend. “Are you okay?” 

Abigail hissed, whipping her wand up in an upward slice to deflect a stunning spell and stretching the gash on her torso. “Doing just great, Scyl,” she responded, not looking at her. 

Scylla cringed as she looked at the bleeding injury. “Shit,” she hissed, glancing over at Raelle, who was lifting herself off of the ground. “Fuck!” 

Abigail huffed a laugh, grunting as she deflected yet another attack. “Well said,” she said breathlessly. 

Scylla didn’t respond, too focused on Raelle’s dead eyes as she stared them down. “Well,” she said, eyes wide. “This might be it.” 

Abigail released a shaky breath, lowering her wand for a moment and meeting Scylla’s eyes. “Glad we’re together, I guess,” she said, sparing a glance at Willa, who was pointing her wand towards them. 

Scylla nodded, swallowing as Raelle approached. 

They were trapped, and there was no way out. 

Scylla reached out, grabbing Abigail’s hand.

Abigail squeezed Scylla’s hand. 

And then they were ripped apart, their hands separating as they were thrown back. Abigail felt the familiar grip of Raelle’s power seizing her body as she hit the wall, grunting as she felt her ribs crack. 

Scylla didn’t fare much better, crying out as she landed awkwardly on her arm. She felt her forearm twist painfully, and Scylla knew her arm was broken. 

The pain barely registered as Scylla groggily turned to look at her approaching girlfriend. Willa walked behind her, giving Scylla a grim look as she followed her daughter. 

“I really am sorry about this, Scylla,” Willa announced, coming to a stop in front of Scylla, her daughter standing beside her. “In another life, we might have even gotten along.” 

Scylla snarled at the woman, ignoring the pain radiating from her arm. 

Willa didn’t react. “I know you love my daughter,” she continued, glancing over to Raelle. “But I love her too, I hope you realize.” 

Raelle took a step forward. 

“I’m doing this for her.” Willa said, reaching into the waistband of her pants and grabbing Scylla’s wand. She didn’t say another word as she handed the wand over to Raelle. 

Scylla swallowed. 

Raelle slowly raised the tip of the wand towards her girlfriend. Scylla took in a shaky breath. “Raelle, please,” she said. “I know you can hear me.” 

Raelle didn’t react, but Willa frowned. “Kill her, Raelle,” she ordered. “Now.” 

“Raelle, do you remember what I told you?” Scylla said, her voice cracking slightly as she stared into Raelle’s eyes. 

Those blue eyes she loved so much. 

“I know you remember,” she continued, trying to keep her voice clear. It was probably a good sign that Raelle hadn’t immediately killed her. “I told you that whatever happens, I love you.” 

Scylla could’ve imagined it, but she thought she noticed a slight flicker in her girlfriend’s eyes. 

“I still mean that, Raelle,” she said. 

“Kill. Her.” Willa sharply demanded. 

“I still mean it.” Scylla repeated, ignoring Willa. She maintained her eye contact, forcing herself to stand so that she was eye level with Raelle. She held her hands out, as if surrendering to whatever Raelle might do. “Whatever happens, whoever you are, whatever you’re forced to do, I will always love you.” 

The wand seemed to shake in Raelle's hands. Scylla could see her wavering. 

“ _ Raelle!”  _ Willa hissed. Raelle seemed to stiffen, as if struggling against the curse that had taken control over her body. 

Scylla released a shaky breath, reaching a hand out towards Raelle. “Raelle,  _ please.”  _ she pleaded. Her hand was getting closer to the wand. 

Raelle still hadn’t struck. 

“I’m right here with you,” she told Raelle, her eyes genuine and loving. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” 

Raelle stared at her for a moment, her jaw clenched. She blinked a couple times. “Scylla?” she whispered. 

And then Willa struck. 

“ _ Avada Kedavra!”  _

The words echoed through the room, echoed loud in Scylla’s ears. 

The world slowed  as the jet of green shot directly towards her. There was no time to dodge, no time to get out of the way. 

Scylla was going to die. 

And then Raelle stepped in front of her, her blue eyes wide as she braced herself.

The bolt struck true, and Raelle met eyes with Scylla as the curse hit, the green jet striking directly between her shoulder blades. 

Scylla’s eyes widened in horror and she reached out, grabbing both of Raelle’s hands before she fell. As if it would do something. Anything. 

As if it would stop Raelle from being her stupid, self-sacrificial self. 

As if it would keep her from dying. 

But it did none of that. 

Instead, Scylla was left grasping her girlfriend’s limp hands as she collapsed to the ground. The pain in her arm was a dull ache compared to the piercing pain in her chest. Scylla fell with her, her hands still uselessly gripping Raelle’s hands.

As if she could still save her. 

But Raelle was already gone, the killing curse having taken the life from her and left a shell of what was once a vibrant, passionate girl. A girl Scylla loved. 

Distantly, she was aware of screaming, of the wailing of a mother as her daughter died. But Scylla could barely feel anything, too focused on the empty eyes of the girl she loved. 

Her hands were cold. 

Dead. 

Abigail yelled Raelle’s name, forcing herself off the ground and stumbling over. She collapsed to her knees beside her friend, tears leaking from her eyes. 

Scylla could only stare. 

“Tally!” Abigail called over her shoulder desperately. 

Tally groaned, dragging herself from the floor and struggling her way over to them. “Raelle!” she screamed. Her voice cracked as she fell next to Raelle. 

Scylla couldn’t hear anything. She could only stare at Raelle. 

Distantly, she was aware that Abigail and Tally were grabbing her hands, squeezing them as if she would fall apart at any moment. 

She might. She could feel her vision blurring with unshed tears. 

Raelle was gone. She was gone, and Scylla was alone. Again.

Someone was crying, wailing and sobbing echoing through the room. 

It took Scylla too long to realize that it was her. 

Tally leaned into her, wrapping her arms around Scylla as she fell apart over Raelle’s body. She squeezed her tight, as if trying to anchor her, to keep her from falling apart completely. 

Abigail was sobbing next to her, staring at Raelle with a mixture of devastation and horror. She still couldn’t comprehend what was happening. 

Scylla couldn’t look away from her girlfriend’s pale face. The scar that stretched the length of her cheek and ended on her chin. The small scratches and bruises that still marred her pale skin. 

Those beautiful blue eyes, now cold and empty. 

Looking back on it, she’s not exactly sure how it happened. Perhaps it was when she physically felt her heart shatter in her chest. 

Something broke inside Scylla, and suddenly power was flowing through her. 

It was a power that she had never felt before. It was potent, commanding. 

It was Raelle. 

Tally and Abigail stiffened beside her, as if they could feel the change. As if they could feel the power, too. 

Scylla opened her eyes, and she looked over at her friends. They looked right back at her, confusion and shock sparking in their eyes. 

Scylla was startled to note that both their eyes were glowing. Glowing a bright blue, exactly the same as Raelle’s eyes glowed. 

She knew her eyes were doing the same. 

Looking at her friends, they all realized the same thing: they had Raelle’s power. 

They had no idea for how long or to what degree, but Scylla wasn’t about to let this opportunity go to waste. 

She turned her attention towards the body of her girlfriend while Abigail and Tally did the same. 

Her friends reached out, resting their hands on Raelle’s body. Abigail’s hand hovered over the girl’s chest, near her collarbone, while Tally placed her hands on the wounds still marring Raelle’s stomach. 

Scylla didn’t move, still tightly squeezing Abigail and Tally’s hands. She was afraid that if she let go, this power would cease to flow through them. That Raelle would really be gone. 

Right now, they had a chance, however small. 

Scylla delved deep into her memories, focusing on her time with Raelle. Those days camped out in the library and the Room of Requirement when she really got to know her. 

When she started to fall in love with Raelle. 

She remembered how they had exchanged various notes at their table in the library, even though they were right next to each other and could’ve just as easily spoken. Raelle always signed hers with a little heart at the end. She always gave her a goofy grin when Scylla unfolded the note to read it. It was a real smile, one that spread over her whole face, that made her eyes crinkle and brighten. 

She remembered when they trained together. When Raelle had spent most of her time falling on her ass, having been destroyed by Abigail once again. Scylla would walk over, helping her up and giving her an apologetic smile. Raelle would act all grumpy at first, but as soon as she began to talk to Scylla, she would soften, the crease in her eyebrows disappearing and her posture becoming more relaxed. Scylla would duel, and she could feel Raelle’s eyes following her as she moved. She could feel her admiration from across the classroom, and it made a warm feeling blossom in Scylla’s chest. It made her try even harder, if just to impress Raelle. 

She remembered those weekends spent in the Room of Requirement. Those quiet moments when they just cuddled on the couch, reading a book or listening to music. Raelle would run her fingers through Scylla’s hair, humming softly along to the music. Their hands would knit together, and Scylla remembered the way she felt as though she was finally satisfied. As though she was home when she was with Raelle. 

She remembered the day she accidentally fell down the last few stairs on her way to the Hufflepuff tower. She landed painfully on her ankle, and she had struggled to put weight on it as she stumbled the rest of the way. Raelle had taken one look at her and known something was wrong, forcing her to sit down and let her take a look. When Scylla told her that her ankle was hurt, Raelle had wasted no time before healing it, resting her hands gently against the skin of her ankle.

Her hands had been cold, and Scylla had shivered at the sensation. She had watched, nearly mesmerized, as Raelle began to heal her ankle. She began to chant, her eyes glowing an icy blue as she spoke. 

Scylla still remembered those words, and she recited them now as she kneeled over Raelle’s body. 

“ _ Ask, and it shall be given,”  _ she spoke, forcing meaning into the words. 

Tally and Abigail looked over at her for a moment, their eyes wide as they realized what Scylla was doing, before turning back towards the girl and taking up the chant as well. 

“ _ Seek, and ye shall find. _

_ Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  _

Scylla could feel the power flowing through all of them, the power they were all desperately pushing towards Raelle. Towards their friend. 

“ _ For everyone that asketh, receiveth, _

_ And he that seeketh, findith. _

_ And to him who knocks, it shall be open.”  _

Scylla looked up from Raelle for a moment, staring into the wide eyes of Willa Collar. She allowed her to see her glowing eyes, to witness their power firsthand. 

She wanted Willa Collar to be afraid. 

Scylla turned back towards her dead girlfriend. 

“ _ For thine is the kingdom, the power of the Lord,”  _

She exchanged glances with her friends, nodding slightly as they recited the last line. 

God, she hoped this worked. 

“ _ Forever and Ever.”  _

The room was silent, the words echoing with power and meaning, sending a chill through the area as they finished. 

As the three felt Raelle’s power leave them, Tally and Abigail hesitantly removed their hands, their eyes never leaving Raelle’s face, looking desperately for any hint of life. 

For a few paralyzing moments, nothing happened, and Scylla was terrified that it had been in vain. That her girlfriend was dead for good.

And then Raelle’s fingers twitched. 

And Scylla felt tears of relief blur her eyes as Raelle groaned, her voice raspy. Those blue eyes cracked open, and immediately turned towards her. 

“Scyl?” she whispered, equal parts confused and loving. 

Scylla swallowed, struggling to keep from breaking down completely. “Yeah, Rae,” she replied, her voice cracking as tears began to fall. “It’s me, you  _ idiot. _ ” 

Raelle smiled at her, and Scyllla thought she would sell her soul just to see the girl smile at her like that again. 

Scylla leaned down and wrapped the girl in a tight hug, releasing a small sob as she buried her face into Raelle’s shoulder. She felt Tally and Abigail join the hugs, their arms wrapping around the both of them as they all embraced. 

“I’m so happy you’re okay, Raelle,” Tally said after they had finally separated, her eyes shining with tears. 

“Me too, shitbird,” Abigail agreed, trying to keep the emotion from her voice. “I don’t think Hufflepuff would win any matches without you as their keeper.” 

Raelle snorted, forcing herself to sit up a little more, wincing as she did. Scylla wordlessly placed a hand on her back, helping her as she came into a sitting position, now eye-level with her friends. The gashes on her stomach were gone, leaving only pale, unblemished skin in their wake. 

Raelle looked between her friends, and involuntary tears began to well up in her eyes. “You guys came for me?” she whispered. 

All of them nodded. “Of course, Raelle,” Tally responded. 

“We wouldn’t let you go that easy,” Abigail added. 

Scylla breathed a sigh. “I love you, Raelle,” she said. “I’ll always try and find you, wherever you are.” 

Raelle released a shaky breath. “Thank you guys,” she said breathlessly. “I love you.” 

There was a moment of silence as Raelle and her friends simply basked in the moment, crying in relief that they were together again. 

“Raelle?” came a hesitant voice, breaking the silence and shattering the moment. 

Willa Collar lingered to the side, shaking slightly as she hesitantly called for her daughter. Raelle turned around, her eyes wide as she took in her mother. 

Where Willa had been calm and put together, she was now trembling and pale. Tears still streamed down her face as she took in her daughter. Her face was splotchy and her eyes shone with devastation and pure regret. 

“Raelle, please, I’m so sorry,” she pleaded. “I don’t know what came over me, I swear. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I can see that I was wrong. I was wrong, and I’m so sorry.” 

Raelle stared at her mother, and Scylla squeezed the girl’s hand tighter as she met eyes with Willa. 

Scylla was sure of her own opinion on Raelle’s mom, but she would let Raelle make her own judgement. 

Raelle swallowed. She blinked a couple times, her eyes flickering with emotions as Willa seemed to break down. “Mama,” she whispered, her voice trembling with anger, desperation, and betrayal all at once. 

A bang from the doorway interrupted the moment, drawing everyone’s attention. A man stood tall, his wand pointed towards where the group was still crouched beside Raelle. 

He opened his mouth, and Scylla knew, instinctively, his intent was to kill one of them. There wasn’t any time to retaliate, however fast Abigail was reaching for her wand. 

Scylla watched with wide eyes as Willa Collar acted, reaching immediately for her wand and quickly disarming him. 

The man gave her a confused look as his wand flew from his hand, landing on the ground with a quiet clatter. Scylla was still frozen in place, holding Raelle’s hand in a white-knuckle grip. The pain in her other arm was quickly returning, a consistent ache that drew her attention and made her grit her teeth against the pain.

“Willa?” the man asked, his tone edging on accusatory. 

“Stand down,” Willa ordered, her voice steady despite her messy appearance. 

“Willa, these girls are intruders-” 

“I said,” Willa repeated sternly. “Stand. Down.” 

The man seemed to slump, though Scylla could still see the confusion and doubt in his eyes when he glanced over at them. 

“Leave me.” Willa demanded, clutching her wand tightly. 

The man whipped his head towards her. “Willa, surely we should-” 

“Do I need to repeat myself, Edward?” the woman warned, her tone sharp. 

The man stared for a moment before surrendering, grabbing his wand from the ground and leaving the room. 

Scylla stood, followed by the others. She helped Raelle to her feet, pretending not to notice the way the girl trembled. 

Tally glanced over at her friends, noticing the way Abigail was holding her side and the way Scylla cradled her arm. She took out her wand, pointing it at the large gash still marring Abigail's side. " _Episkey,"_ she muttered, and Abigail sighed as the cut sealed and left only a thin red line. 

Her ribs were still broken and Scylla's arm was still injured, but Tally couldn't heal injuries that severe herself. Nonetheless, Abigail threw the girl a grateful look, glancing down at the healed cut.

Raelle turned to face her mother, her jaw clenched and her knuckles white as she held Scylla's good hand. 

Willa looked at all of them, her expression wary. She knew that she couldn’t take all of them at once, regardless of their injuries. 

Abigail stepped forward, pointing her wand toward the woman, her face set into a growl. 

Just as she opened her mouth to stun her, Raelle grabbed her arm. “Wait,” she said. 

Abigail turned back around, her brows furrowed. “What?” she hissed. “She deserves it.” 

“Yeah,” Raelle agreed, scowling. “But we need her to make it out of here alive.” 

Abigail sighed, and reluctantly lowered her wand. “Fine, you’re right, there’s way too many guards out there for us to take alone.” she admitted. “But why would she help us?” 

Raelle narrowed her eyes, fixing her mother with a glare. “You said you’re sorry, right?” she asked. Scylla noticed how tight Raelle squeezed her hand now. 

Willa nodded, holding her hands up in surrender. “I’m so sorry, honey,” she replied. “You have to believe me, I’ll do anything to make it up to you.” 

Raelle clenched her jaw. “Fine,” she spat. “Get us out of here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any typos or mistakes, didn't have a lot of time to look this one over carefully.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls escape the manor, only to encounter unexpected trouble.

They made it out okay in the end. 

Everyone was on edge as they all weaved through the halls of the giant manor. There was a decent amount of suspicion that Willa would end up betraying them, would end up alerting the numerous guards that milled around the mansion. 

They were basically at her mercy, after all. 

But she didn’t do that, thankfully. 

She led them quietly through the house, waving off any Spree that gave her questioning looks. Raelle had to admit, it probably looked extremely suspicious. A high level Spree leader walking around with four armed prisoners? With no guards? 

It was a miracle they got out without getting attacked or, at the very least, questioned. 

But the most they got were a few weird looks. Nothing more. 

Raelle couldn’t help the way her lips curled into a scowl at the thought. So not only was her mother a part of the Spree, she was a high-level, decision-making leader? That just added insult to injury. 

Her mom not only believed in the cause enough to kill, she  _ was  _ the cause for many of the lesser Spree. Without Willa, it seemed, the agents had no one to follow. 

Her mom had revived the Spree, brought them back into power since their downfall. Now they were more dangerous than ever under her leadership. 

But that was going to end. Right now. 

As soon as they reached the tree line, Raelle called on what was left of her power to heal Scylla’s arm and Abigail’s ribs. She nearly collapsed from the effort, but she waved off Scylla and Abigail’s worry, insisting that she was fine.

By the time she had finished, all four of the girls had their wands out and pointed towards Willa. Except Raelle, considering her wand was gone, but she still held up her hands threateningly. The intent was clear enough. 

“Okay, I get it,” Willa said, raising her arms in surrender. She handed over her wand to Raelle, and Raelle felt a sharp pain in her chest at holding her mother’s wand. It was so similar to her own, so familiar. 

It felt right. 

Which made Raelle sick to her stomach. 

“We’re going back to Hogwarts,” Abigail said, eyes narrowed. “Where we’re handing you over to Alder.” 

Willa quirked an eyebrow. “And how do you suppose we  _ get  _ to Hogwarts?” she asked. 

Abigail glared at the woman. “You don’t get to ask any questions here.” 

Raelle sighed, rubbing her forehead. “You guys didn’t prepare a way back, did you?” she asked, exasperated. 

Everyone glanced back towards her, but Tally and Abigail kept their wands trained on Willa. “Hey, to be fair,” Scylla defended. “We didn’t think we’d even get this far.” 

“Yeah,” Tally agreed. “And we didn’t exactly prepare for an extra... _ guest.”  _

Abigail shook her head. “Whatever, we’re still good,” she assured them. “We should be safe in the forest for a while before the Spree starts to get suspicious. I should be able to contact Anacostia and tell her where we are.” 

Raelle nodded. “That sounds like a plan,” she said. “Anacostia can send reinforcements, and we’ll be able to expose a major Spree hideout.” 

She pointedly avoided her mother’s intense gaze. 

“Okay,” Abigail said, glancing at everyone and finally lowering her wand. “You guys stay here, I’ll send a message to Anacostia.” 

She threw a glare at Willa. “Make sure you keep an eye on  _ her.”  _

With that, she turned from the group and headed further into the forest, holding her wand in a white knuckle grip. 

The rest of them were left standing in the forest, an uncomfortable silence surrounding them. After a tense moment, Raelle finally retreated towards the treeline and leaned down to take a seat on the grass, mumbling something about keeping watch. 

Tally kept her eyes trained solely on Willa as the woman followed suit and took a seat, but the Hufflepuff eventually lowered her wand and sat down next to her.

Scylla glanced to where Abigail had disappeared into the trees before sighing and walking over to Raelle. 

Scylla hugged Raelle’s hoodie tighter as she wordlessly sat next to her girlfriend. Raelle barely reacted to her presence, keeping her eyes trained singularly on the manor. However, she did reach out a hand, silently taking Scylla’s and squeezing. 

Scylla let a soft smile overtake her features as she squeezed back, glad that Raelle wasn’t completely shutting her out. She just needed some space and time to think.

So they sat in silence for a while, and eventually Abigail returned to the group, announcing that Anacostia was sending reinforcements to help. It’d be about another hour before they could show up, however, since the area they were in was spelled to prevent apparition. The reinforcements still had to trek a good distance towards the manor on foot. 

Scylla sighed, and her breath came out in a small cloud because of the cold. She shivered a bit, and as she clutched Raelle’s hand tighter, she realized just how cold the girl’s skin was. 

A glance at her girlfriend had Scylla furrowing her brows in concern. Raelle was still dressed in her tattered school uniform. Her robes were torn and ripped, and her pants were equally as damaged, small patches and holes exposing the pale skin of Raelle’s legs. 

She must have been freezing. 

“Rae,” she said quietly, breaking the silence. 

Raelle turned towards her, her eyebrows raised in question. “Yeah?” she asked. 

Scylla reached to take off her hoodie, ignoring Raelle’s protests. “Here,” she told her as she handed over the sweatshirt. “It’s freezing, and those robes are doing nothing.” 

Raelle tried to refuse, but Scylla wasn’t taking no for an answer. After much struggle and argument, Raelle finally took the hoodie and begrudgingly pulled it over her head, slipping it on over her uniform. 

Scylla smiled reassuringly at her, trying not to shiver herself as she was left in only her thin long-sleeve shirt. 

Raelle noticed how cold she was, narrowing her eyes and wordlessly leaning in, wrapping an arm around the girl and pulling her close. 

Scylla wasn’t complaining, a content smile on her face as she leaned into Raelle’s side, taking comfort in her warmth. 

She was so relieved Raelle was okay. 

They stayed like that for a while, keeping careful watch on the manor and taking comfort in each other’s presence. Scylla felt a pain in her chest as she noticed the stiffness of Raelle’s posture, the anxiety clear on her face, but she said nothing. As time passed, Raelle began to relax a little, leaning more into Scylla and loosening her grip on her hand. Scylla tried her best to help Raelle calm down, drawing small circles on Raelle’s hand with her thumb. 

However, the sound of quiet footsteps behind them drew their attention and ruined the moment. 

Scylla’s mood immediately soured when she saw Willa Collar standing over them, her hands raised as if in surrender. She noticed Tally giving them an apologetic look from a few yards away, and Scylla struggled to withhold her annoyance. It wasn’t Tally’s fault that Willa was the bane of Scylla’s existence.

She felt Raelle stiffen beside her, and Scylla felt the pain in her chest grow fiercer at the sight of Raelle’s clenched jaw and hard expression. “What.” Raelle asked, holding onto Scylla’s hand like a lifeline. 

Willa sighed. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I am,” she said. “I, uh,-” 

She swallowed, as if trying to collect herself. 

“When I joined the Spree, it felt like I was fighting for a cause, something good,” she admitted. “It felt right, and I felt like I was actually making a difference.”

Raelle’s eyes shined with anger. 

“Believe me,” Willa told her. “I missed you and your father  _ every day. _ I thought I was doing this for you. For both of you.” 

Raelle said nothing, but Scylla narrowed her eyes skeptically.

“But the Spree was quickly turning into something I didn’t want to be a part of,” she insisted. “When I joined, it was in shambles. Their attacks were unorganized, and their purpose was unclear. I thought I could help, that I could change this movement into something good, a force of change.” 

Scylla shook her head, biting her tongue to keep from retorting. 

Willa looked down. “But I lost sight of my goal,” she admitted. “Instead of the Spree becoming a force of change, I just made it more widespread, more dangerous. I gained power, and I lost sight of who I was. Who I was fighting for.” 

Raelle’s eyes shined with unshed tears, but her jaw was still clenched and she kept her face impassive. 

Willa stared into her daughter’s eyes. “I forgot who I was, Raelle,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “When I saw you for the first time in almost a year, I was so intent on getting you back, so happy to see my daughter again, I wasn’t prepared for your reaction. I wasn’t prepared for your anger.” 

Raelle took in a shaky breath, but she still remained silent. 

“I was wrong,” Willa continued, her eyes begging her daughter to listen. “I was  _ so  _ wrong to do that to you. But I want you to know that I do love you. I love you so much, more than anything.” 

She fixed Raelle with a meaningful look. “I’m so sorry I lost sight of that.” she told her daughter. 

And before Raelle could say anything, before she could spit out a spiteful retort driven from anger and resentment, Willa was turning away, walking back towards Tally and retaking a seat on the grass once again. 

Leaving Raelle a near mess as she stared at the place her mother had been standing. 

Scylla looked over at her girlfriend, studying her reaction and trying to gauge what she should do. 

Raelle released a shaky breath, glancing over at Scylla. Her eyes shone with turmoil and confusion, but Scylla met her eyes with a reassuring and loving look. She tried her best to communicate that she was there for Raelle, whatever happened, and however she chose to react. 

Before they could exchange any words, before Raelle could even begin to break down, her eyes were widening as she glanced behind Scylla, peering towards the manor. “Scyl,” she said, her eyes shining with alarm. “We’ve got to go,” 

Scylla narrowed her eyes as Raelle stumbled up, pulling her from the ground and running towards the others. Scylla squinted to the manor, withholding a gasp of alarm as she noticed the wave of Spree agents filing from the house and headed towards the treeline. 

And then they were running, pushing their legs to carry them across the uneven and confusing landscape of the forest. 

Raelle ran next to her as Scylla listened to the yells of the Spree behind them. 

Her heart pounded in her chest as she threw herself through the trees, praying for a miracle. There were way too many Spree for them to fight off, especially tired and unprepared as they were. Raelle had exhausted her powers, and a glance behind her told Scylla that her girlfriend was also struggling to maintain her pace, presumably exhausted from her captivity and her efforts to heal them. 

Scylla grit her teeth, reaching behind her to grab Raelle’s hand, dragging her along and forcing her to go faster. She hoped Raelle’s feet didn’t fail her. She wasn’t sure what she would do. 

“ _ Stupefy!”  _ called a gruff voice behind them, and Scylla cursed as a burst of color slammed into a tree beside her, directly between her and Abigail. 

They were close enough to hit them. 

She pushed her legs to move faster, tightening her hold of Raelle and continuing to pull her along after her. 

The yells of the Spree were getting closer, and now spells and hexes were flying through the trees, narrowly missing them. 

Scylla slowed down just enough to yell a stunning spell at one of the men behind her, sloppily waving her wand at them before turning and continuing her sprint. 

She was satisfied to hear the alarmed yells of the agents behind her. Her spell had presumably hit one of them, holding them up for a moment. 

She wasn’t sure what they were going to do. Raelle was dead on her feet, and Scylla was struggling to keep pace with the others, still pulling Raelle along behind her. They couldn’t keep this up for long. The Spree had already recovered from her spell, and they were pursuing with renewed commitment, their spells becoming brighter and more intense as they barely missed her and Raelle. 

Their only hope now was Anacostia’s reinforcements. There was a slight chance they could still run into them yet. 

But it wasn’t looking good. 

And it only looked worse when Tally promptly tripped on a tree root, falling bodily to the dirt and causing both Abigail and Scylla to stumble to a stop, running over to help her up. 

But they were too late. The Spree was upon them, and Abigail barely had time to shield them, yelling “ _ Protego!”  _ just as a spell came careening towards them. 

Raelle promptly fell to the ground beside Scylla, no longer able to stand on her dead feet. Scylla growled, throwing up a shield to defend them both. 

She shot a quick stunning spell at one of the agents, allowing a small, satisfied smile to cross her face as it hit the woman square in the chest. 

She deflected a few more attacks, throwing her own hexes and jinxes back at the Spree. Abigail did the same beside her, as well as Tally. Willa joined them, but she could do little without her wand. Scylla grit her teeth, quickly grabbing the woman’s wand from Raelle’s pocket and begrudgingly throwing it to Willa. 

It was four against nearly two dozen, yet they still fought as hard as they could. 

“ _ Petrificus Totalus!”  _ yelled Tally to her right at the same time Abigail cried “ _ Confringo!”  _

One of the agents froze and fell to the ground, his body paralyzed as he hit the dirt while another cried out in panic as her robes burst into flame. 

Scylla grit her teeth, barely dodging a curse before pointing her wand at the crowd of Spree. “ _ Impedimenta! _ ” she yelled, and one of the agents was thrown back against a nearby tree, grunting as he was slammed against the trunk. 

All of them were fighting as hard as they could, but they were still hopelessly outnumbered. Whenever they took out one, two more agents came forward to replace the fallen Spree.

“ _ Stupefy!”  _ yelled one of the Spree, and this time, Tally couldn’t dodge or deflect the spell. She grunted as she was thrown back, falling unconscious against the dirt. Her wand fell from her grip and rolled across the forest floor. 

Scylla clenched her jaw as she dodged another attack, desperately returning her own. 

It didn’t land, and Abigail was promptly felled with a well-placed body-bind curse, causing her to fall to the dirt, rock-still.

It only left Willa and Scylla to fight. Raelle was still collapsed on the ground, fighting to find her breath and keep from falling unconscious entirely. 

They were fighting a losing battle, and they both knew it. 

But Scylla kept going, gritting her teeth against her exhaustion and forcing herself to shield more and more curses, returning some of her own when she had the opening. 

And then Willa was down, thrown back against the trunk of a large tree and falling to the ground, unconscious. 

It was over. Scylla was the only one left, and she was barely hanging on herself. 

The Spree descended towards her, and Scylla sighed and lowered her wand, preparing for the worst. 

What she wasn’t expecting was for the head Spree to be thrown back at least thirty feet, crashing into others as he fell. 

Dozens of wizards and witches were appearing through the trees, dressed in Ministry colors and shooting spells and hexes at the crowd of Spree. They didn’t even spare Scylla or her friends a glance as they moved towards the enemy, taking a battle formation as they began an organized attack against the enemy wizards. 

Scylla released a relieved sigh as the Spree seemed to fall apart, many of the agents fleeing back towards the manor when faced with the reinforcements. 

Feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her, Scylla promptly fell to her knees, looking over at Raelle with tear-filled eyes. 

She made her way over to her girlfriend, ignoring the yells of the wizards and witches furiously dueling in front of them. 

The only thing she was aware of was Raelle’s blue eyes. 

Scylla pulled Raelle’s head into her lap, stroking her hair and caressing her cheek as tears began pouring down her own cheeks. “It’s okay, Rae,” she assured her exhausted girlfriend. “It’s okay.” 

Raelle mumbled something, her posture tense even as she lay sprawled on the ground. 

Scylal continued to stroke the girl’s hair, tuning out the battle occurring a few yards away. “I’m here,” she told Raelle. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

She met eyes with Raelle, giving her a loving look. “Rest,” she told her. “Please.”

And after a moment, Raelle seemed to relax, slumping under the weight of her exhaustion. 

She finally let go, and within minutes, she was asleep.

Scyla sighed, relieved to have her girlfriend resting peacefully in her arms once again. 

They were going to be fine. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raelle and Scylla have a much-needed discussion

Days later, Raelle was still unconscious in the infirmary. 

They had returned to Hogwarts shortly after they escaped the manor, using a portkey to travel about a mile out from the campus. The reinforcements had taken the manor, capturing what agents they could and confiscating Spree plans and weapons.

Scylla insisted on carrying Raelle throughout their journey back to Hogwarts. She refused to let anyone, besides Tally and Abigail of course, touch her girlfriend. 

The entire journey, Raelle didn’t stir. She didn’t wake when they arrived at the castle, nor when Scylla took her to the infirmary, closely followed by their friends. 

She hadn’t woken in nearly three days now. 

Scylla had barely left her side, missing her classes and lessons to stay in the infirmary. The healer had protested, of course, but Anacostia had allowed her to stay. Tally and Abigail visited very often as well. They were almost there as much as Scylla, and Scylla had become a staple in the infirmary over the last few days. 

They had met with Alder shortly after they had returned, and she gave them a stern talking-to about leaving campus and going after Raelle without any help. But, in the end, she congratulated them for getting Raelle back safe and helping the Ministry find a big Spree hideout. She told them it was a huge blow towards the Spree, and it would likely lead to their downfall all together.

She had questioned them about the events of their rescue mission, and she narrowed her eyes when they told her that Raelle had been killed, and subsequently resurrected. 

Scylla still remembered the way Alder’s face had become scrunched and thoughtful as she listened to them explain. 

“It seems that Raelle’s powers are more extensive than I anticipated,” she murmured. “It’s certainly a possibility that her power remained, even after Raelle had died. It may have transferred to the nearest person, and since all three of you were together and grasping hands, you all received it.” 

Abigail had narrowed her eyes, skeptical of Alder’s explanation. “Wait,” she said. “That would mean that the power isn’t really Raelle’s. It just exists inside Raelle?” 

Alder nodded. “This sort of thing happens very rarely, and power such as Raelle’s is unprecedented.” she admitted. “But it’s entirely possible that Raelle may have accidentally encountered it at some point, and the power took a liking to her.” 

“You act like it’s alive,” Tally had commented. 

Alder’s face didn’t change. “That’s entirely possible,” she replied. “Like I said, this is only a possibility. However, it would explain why Raelle only gained these abilities later in life rather than when she was a child.” 

Scylla clenched her jaw. So that power inside Raelle...it wasn’t  _ her,  _ exactly. It was just something that was taking residence in her body. 

This was weirder than she had expected. 

Still, she found herself back in the infirmary, grasping Raelle’s limp hands and struggling to keep her anxiety from consuming her. 

Raelle should’ve woken by now, surely. Alder had said that she would sleep for a while, considering how exhausted she was. She had taxed herself too much when she healed Scylla and Abigail. Almost burnt herself out entirely. 

It was normal that she would need this much rest, Scylla assured herself. 

She found herself thinking about the power in Raelle. The power that had briefly taken residence inside  _ her.  _

She wondered whether or not it was sentient, whether it chose Raelle on purpose or if they had inadvertently bonded. She recalled the way she felt when she healed Raelle. At the time, all Scylla could focus on was Raelle, but thinking back, she had felt a tug in her gut. As if something was inside her, begging to be released, to be used. 

She was consumed by her thoughts as she waited for Raelle to awaken, holding her girlfriend’s hand the entire time. 

She nearly leapt out of her chair when she felt one of Raelle’s fingers twitch, barely grazing the skin of her palm. 

“Raelle?” she whispered, afraid that she had imagined it, that Raelle was still dead asleep. 

But, evidently, it had been real, and then Raelle was squeezing her hand tightly in response. Scylla watched with bated breath as her girlfriend released a groan, her entire body tensing as she stretched. 

And then an eye was cracking open, revealing those familiar blue irises, and Scylla struggled to withhold tears of relief. 

“Scylla?” Raelle rasped, blinking a couple times as her eyes adjusted to the light of the infirmary. 

Scylla smiled down at her, squeezing her hand as Raelle turned towards her. “Yeah, Rae,” she replied softly. “It’s me.” 

Raelle looked at her, almost confused as she took in the bags under her girlfriend's eyes and the crease between her brows. “Are you okay?” she asked. 

Scylla released a wet chuckle. “I’m fine, you idiot,” she replied. “I was so worried about you.” 

Raelle’s responding smile was nearly enough to make Scylla forgive her right then and there. 

Nearly. 

“Raelle,” Scylla said, giving her girlfriend a pained look. “Why did you do all that? Why would you put yourself in danger like that?” 

Raelle swallowed. “I didn’t want you to get hurt-” she tried, only to get interrupted by Scylla almost immediately. 

“And I didn’t want  _ you _ to get hurt, Rae!” she said, her voice cracking. “Can you imagine how terrifying it was for me to think you were seriously hurt, or even dead?” 

She cleared her throat, as if trying to collect herself. 

“Raelle, you  _ were _ dead, _ ”  _ she told her. “You were gone, and I was alone. Again.” 

Raelle’s eyes shone with tears, but Scylla could see that she still didn’t regret her actions. “Scyl, please-” 

“No!” Scylla interrupted. “Don’t tell me all that bullshit about protecting me! We could have done this together, Raelle!” 

She closed her eyes for a moment. Releasing a shaky breath, she fixed her girlfriend with a serious look. “Please, just please,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “Never do something like that again. Never.” 

Raelle’s face remained the same, but her eyes betrayed how conflicted she was. “Scylla, I did what I did because I didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t want to lose you.” 

Scylla opened her mouth to respond, but Raelle continued before she could. 

“I can’t promise that I won’t do something like that again,” she admitted. “Because  _ I love you, _ and that’s not going to change.” 

Scylla shook her head. “Can’t you see that what you did hurt me?” she asked. “Raelle, it made me think you were dead! I was sitting unconscious in a fucking hallway while you were battling dozens of Spree soldiers!” 

Raelle clenched her jaw. She fixed Scylla with a hard gaze. “And I’d do it again,” she said. “I know it hurt you, and I know you’re angry at me, but I’d rather you hate me than get hurt or killed because of a stupid decision I made.” 

“It was my decision, too!” Scylla cried, tears pricking her eyes. “Don’t you get it? You don’t get to make decisions for me, Raelle! That’s not a relationship I want!”

Raelle swallowed at that, her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, Scyl,” she said quietly. “I just wanted to keep you safe. If you don’t want to be with me anymore,” she paused, closing her eyes. “I understand.

Scylla shook her head, leaning forward and cupping Raelle’s cheek. “No, no,” she replied, turning Raelle’s face towards hers and meeting her eyes. “That’s not what I meant. I want to be with you, Raelle, I just don’t want you to…” 

She trailed off, looking down for a moment. 

“I don’t want to lose you, too, idiot.” 

Raelle’s breath caught as she looked at her girlfriend. Scylla’s gaze was directed towards the floor, her eyes filled with tears. 

She didn’t hesitate before leaning forward and pressing her lips softly against Scylla’s. Scylla paused for only a moment before melting into the kiss, reaching her hand to rest against the back of Raelle’s neck. 

Raelle pulled back, inhaling shakily. “You’re not going to lose me, Scylla,” she told her. 

Scylla nodded, giving her a small smile. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It’s cute you think death will get you out of this relationship.” 

Raelle released a wet laugh. “Yeah,” she said, nodding. “It was stupid of me to think so.” 

Scylla nodded sagely before leaning in again and kissing Raelle again. 

They only separated when they were the sound of the massive infirmary doors creaking open. 

“Raelle!” Tally called loudly, dropping the candy she was holding and running over to the bed. She didn’t hesitate before wrapping her arms around the girl and enveloping her in a tight hug. “I was so worried!” 

“Can’t. Breath. Tal.” Raelle managed, nearly smothered by her friend’s hug. 

Tally immediately pulled back, flashing her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, Rae,” she said. “Just happy you’re okay.” 

“Me too, Shitbird,” said Abigail as she joined them. She leaned in and gave Raelle a quick hug, a genuine smile splitting across her face as she did. “We were all pretty worried there for a second.” 

Raelle furrowed her brows. “Why?” she asked. “How long was I out for?” 

“Three days,” Scylla responded, glancing over at Tally and Abigail as she answered. 

Raelle’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?” she asked incredulously. “Three days?” 

Everyone nodded. “Yeah,” Abigail answered. “The healer said you nearly burnt yourself out completely when you healed Scylla and I, and then we did all that running on top of it.” 

Raelle blinked, still amazed that she had been out for so long. 

She glanced up suddenly, as if remembering something she’d forgotten. “My mom,” she said seriously. “She’s alive. Where is she? Did she make it out?” 

The girls exchanged glances. 

It was Tally who ended up answering. “The Ministry arrested her when they raided the manor,” she told her. “She’s been in custody for a few days now, and she’s about to go on trial.” 

“In two days,” Abigail filled in. “My mom told me.” 

Scylla grasped her hands tightly, bracing herself for Raelle’s reaction, unsure at how she would take the news. 

Silence filled the room and Raelle nodded, her face unchanged. Scylla could see the way her jaw clenched and how her eyes flickered with some unreadable emotion. Raelle probably didn’t even know how she was feeling herself. 

“I guess that's always how it was going to end,” Raelle said quietly. “She’s Spree.” 

No one responded, although there was a palpable tension in the room. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to tell Pa,” Raelle admitted, her voice cracking. 

She looked up at them. “What if she goes to Azkaban?” she asked, eyes filling with tears. 

Abigail didn’t have the heart to tell her that was likely how the trial was going to go.

The girls didn’t hesitate before enveloping Raelle in a tight hug as she began to break down, sobs racking her body as everyone tried their best to console their friend. 

When Raelle finally fell asleep, exhausted, everyone exchanged worried glances. “Her mom was a terrible person,” Abigail said quietly, her legs swinging slightly as she sat on the edge of Raelle’s bed. 

No one had the heart to argue with her. Scylla just nodded, and Tally frowned as she thought about it. 

“But Raelle loved her,” Scylla whispered. “And she loved Raelle.”

“Even if she had a pretty shitty way of showing it,” Tally agreed. 

Everyone looked down at their friend, who snored softly as she curled into Scylla’s lap. 

“She’s gonna be fine.” Abigail said after a moment. She sounded certain. “She just needs time.” 

The girls nodded their agreement, and only when the lights of the infirmary dimmed and it was well past curfew, did they finally leave for their dorms. 

Scylla stayed, though, watching over her girlfriend for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was pretty short, but we'll have some well-deserved fluff in the next chapter!! Thanks for reading, please comment if you enjoy!!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff!! lots of fluff!!

By the time winter break came around, the group had mostly recovered from their endeavor at the manor. 

Raelle, obviously, still had trouble, but everyone did their best to help her feel comfortable and safe. 

For the most part, things went back to normal, much to Raelle’s surprise. Students had resumed their classes after the attack, and quidditch matches were back on. Thankfully, Hufflepuff didn’t have another match to play until after the break. 

Most of the castle had emptied when the semester ended. Majority of the parents were grateful to have their children home for a few weeks after such a dangerous attack. 

However, Raelle and her friends were still stranded at the castle, although they weren’t too displeased about this turn of events. Hogwarts had a different kind of energy when it was empty, and it was a nice change of pace they all needed. 

Normally, Abigail and Tally would be spending their break with their family, but with Petra Bellweather so busy with taking care of the new Spree prisoners and Tally’s mom unable to pay for a ticket all the way to King’s Cross and back, they were stuck at Hogwarts with Scylla and Raelle. 

And Raelle wasn’t ready to face her Pa just yet. Her mom was officially in Azkaban, and she was still dealing with this turn of events herself. She wasn’t sure how she was going to break it to her dad. 

Abigail and Tally made it clear, however, that they preferred staying at the castle rather than going home for the break. “Mom would just be taking work calls the entire time,” Abigail snorted when Raelle questioned her. “She’s always busy with work. Much rather spend the holidays with you guys.” 

“Yeah,” Tally agreed. “My mom’s really nice and I love her so much, but the town we live in can get a little overwhelming.” 

So they spent the break together, taking small trips between Hogsmeade Village and the castle. 

Raelle had honestly never felt better. She was surrounded by friends she loved and who loved her. They spent their morning together at breakfast, stuffing their faces with eggs and pancakes. Scylla and Abigail would play their routine game of wizard's chess, and Abigail would always win. Raelle was still waiting for the day Scylla finally snapped and just flipped the board off the table instead of the small disappointed sigh she always released when she lost. 

Their afternoons were spent lazing around their dorms and exploring the secret parts of the castles. Raelle and Scylla often snuck off to the Room of Requirement to spend some time alone. Abigail always rolled her eyes when the two inevitably disappeared for the tenth time that week, assuming that they were making out in a broom closet somewhere. 

Nighttime was Raelle’s favorite. After curfew, when Hogwarts was empty and quiet, Raelle and Scylla would meet up at the North Tower. They would spend hours curled up together, watching the stars and talking about nothing and everything. Raelle began to bring her other jacket, since it was clear she was never getting her hoodie back. Scylla constantly teased that it was definitely hers now, considering she wore it more often than Raelle herself. 

A few days before Christmas, Raelle dedicated some time to figure out the gifts she would give her friends. She was never very good at gift-giving, considering she wasn’t typically a very friendly person, but she knew that she needed to give her friends something. She loved them, and they had done so much for her already. The least she could do was give a little back, even if it was something as small as a Christmas gift. 

For Abigail, she spent some of her savings on a new pair of quidditch gloves for her. The gloves had better grip than the school-issued ones, and it would serve her well when she passed the quaffle between the other chasers. Raelle wanted to make it a bit more personalized, though, so she painted designs all over the gloves, alternating between green and silver colors. 

To Tally, she gave the girl a small potted plant that she had grown in the herbology gardens. She painted the pot with varying shades of yellow and black, and she placed a small Hufflepuff flag in the dirt. When she ran a finger along the stem of the plant, she frowned a little when the plant reacted to her touch, shivering and shrinking away from her outstretched finger. It didn’t like her very much, it seemed, but Raelle was confident it would love Tally. Who wouldn’t love Tally?

As for Scylla, Raelle was stumped. She knew that this gift had to be great. There was a lot riding on this, although Raelle knew that Scylla would be happy with whatever Raelle ended up giving her. Still, Raelle wanted the gift to be perfect.

Eventually, she settled on giving her the gift on Christmas Eve. That night, they met at the North Tower like usual, but Raelle insisted that they go to the Room of Requirement instead. 

Overwhelmed with nerves, Raelle took a seat next to Scylla on the couch and took a deep breath. At Scylla’s confused and concerned look, Raelle began to explain. 

“Scyl, I love you,” she said, smiling at the girl. “I’ve loved you since I first saw you in that potions class last year when you were answering every question right because you're a genius.” 

Scylla shook her head, opening her mouth to protest, but Raelle continued before she could argue. 

“You’ve been here for me in my lowest moments, and you’ve never lost faith in me,” she said, swallowing. “Even when I’m an idiot, and even when I do stupid things, which is pretty often, you’re still there for me.” 

Scylla smiled at her, eyes shining. 

Raelle took a deep breath, retrieving the gift she had stashed in her bag before they had met up. Scylla’s eyes widened at the sight of the small wooden box in Raelle’s hands. Raelle held it out for her to take, and Scylla glanced up at her girlfriend before taking the box from her. 

“I know tomorrow is Christmas,” Raelle said. “But I wanted to give this to you when we were alone.” 

Scylla hesitantly opened it, a smile creeping onto her face when she saw the charm that sat inside. 

Taking it out from the box, Scylla narrowed her eyes as she studied the charm. A bird’s skull seemed to take up most of it, a small rune carved into the bone. A line of thin rope attached the skull to the clip, decorated with various leaves and flowers. It seemed to be hand crafted, and based on the level of detail, it must have taken hours. 

“I know it’s not much,” Raelle said, avoiding Scylla’s eyes as she studied the charm. “But it means a lot where I come from. It’s supposed to offer you protection and safety.” 

She looked up at her girlfriend. “You know,” she offered. “For when I’m not there.” 

Scylla smiled at her, cradling the charm gently in her palm. “I love it, Rae,” she said, immediately moving forward and enveloping Raelle in a warm hug. “Thank you.” she whispered into the girl’s ear. 

Raelle pulled back and gave her a smile, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. 

Scylla placed the charm back into the box, setting it aside and making sure that she wouldn’t accidentally leave it when they left. She reached out and took Raelle’s left hand, giving her a mischievous smile. “If you’re giving me my gift tonight, I might as well give you yours,” she said. 

Raelle gave her a puzzled smile as Scylla took a deep breath, placing her hand next to Raelle’s. She opened her eyes, meeting Raelle’s gaze. “Okay, this might hurt a little,” she said, ignoring Raelle’s small look of alarm. 

She reached out with her hand, using her pointer finger to draw an ‘S’ on her own palm. As she drew, the imprint of the ‘S’ appeared on Raelle’s palm, the skin rising and darkening to form the shape, similar to that of a scar.

Raelle’s eyes widened as the ‘S’ took form, and Scylla took comfort in the fact that Raelle didn’t flinch or wince as it did. 

Raelle looked up at Scylla in shock. “That’s incredible,” she whispered. “How’d you do that?” 

Scylla smirked at her, retracting her hand and watching as the ‘S’ disappeared from Raelle’s palm. “Just something I cooked up while studying potions,” she explained, all too happy to remain vague. “I just always wanted to be able to say hi to you, wherever we are.” 

Raelle gave her a genuine smile, glancing back down at her unblemished hand and shaking her head in amazement. “Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “Because I’m going to say it again: you’re amazing.” 

Scylla grinned. “I know,” she said, reaching a hand towards the back of Raelle’s neck and pulling her in for a kiss. 

They slept there that night, curled together in the small twin bed. Raelle had never slept so soundly.

They woke up early Christmas morning, meeting Abigail near the dungeons as she told them to. Shortly after they arrived, Tally joined them, raising her eyebrow at the hickies decorating Raelle’s neck. 

Raelle blushed, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck while Scylla simply smiled proudly. 

It didn’t take long for Abigail to find them, giving them a smile and motioning for them to follow her. They followed her through the winding hallways until they finally reached the entrance of the Slytherin common room.

Abigail turned back around to face them as she reached the entrance, smiling conspiratorially. “I’m gonna sneak you guys in, since almost all the Slytherin students are away on break."

The group exchanged glances before shrugging and following Abigail into the common room. 

Raelle entered last, startled by the sound of Abigail’s loud groan. She joined everyone, raising her eyebrows at the sight of Libba Swythe standing in front of them, arms crossed.

“ _ Almost  _ everyone is away on break, anyway,” Abigail said, rolling her eyes. 

Libba quirked her head expectantly. 

“Everyone,” Abigail said with a sigh. “This is Libba. Libba, this is everyone.” 

Libba rolled her eyes, approaching the group with narrowed eyes. “Pleasure,” she said, sounding as if it was decidedly  _ not  _ a pleasure. “You guys aren’t Slytherin.” 

Raelle gave her a look. “Excellent observation.” she said sarcastically.

Libba glared at her. She glanced between all of them for a tense moment, as if she was making a decision. Finally, she uncrossed her arms. “Whatever,” she said, evidently deciding that it wasn’t worth it. “Just don’t touch anything.” 

With that, she was retreating back up the stairs and towards the dorms. 

“Well,” Tally said, blinking. “That was...nice?” 

Abigail scoffed. “Yeah, right,” she said, walking away and plopping down on one of the couches. “Anything but.” 

Raelle rolled her eyes, exchanging knowing looks between Scylla and Tally. “Uh huh,” she said, following the girl’s lead and falling into one of the large chairs across from Abigail’s couch. 

Scylla wasted no time before promptly taking a seat in Raelle’s lap. 

Tally snorted, but Raelle wasn’t complaining. 

They spent the morning laughing and exchanging gifts, curled up on the green couches and enjoying the view from the large window that took up the far wall of the common room. The glass looked out into the bottom of the lake, and Raelle swore she saw a massive squid swim by them a couple times, but it could have been her mind playing tricks on her. 

Tally loved her potted plant, and she announced that his name was Benny. Benny obviously liked Tally much more than Raelle, the plant immediately leaning into her touch instead of shrinking away as it had done before. Raelle scowled at that, sticking her tongue out at the potted plant when she was certain no one was looking. 

Abigail loved the gloves, and she complimented the intricate designs Raelle had painted in green and silver. “Looking forward to kicking Hufflepuff’s ass with these bad boys,” she teased, examining the gloves and flashing Raelle a competitive smile. 

Raelle scoffed. “Whatever,” she said. “I gave you those so you’d at least have a fighting chance.” 

They exchanged playful banter while Tally and Scylla rolled their eyes at both of them.

Raelle was pleasantly surprised to find that her friends also got gifts for her as well. From Abigail, Raelle got a book full of famous quidditch players and various keeping strategies that she could use in her own games. Raelle had thanked her, but Abigail insisted that it was only to give her a fighting chance against Slytherin. 

Tally got her a journal, the cover of which was decorated with intricate designs of yellow and black. Tally explained that she charmed the book to only open for her. “You can write...whatever you’re dealing with when you don’t feel like talking about it.” she told her, and Raelle felt tears prick the back of her eyes as she looked down at the journal. She hugged her friend, muttering a quiet, “Thanks, Tal.” before pulling back and clearing her throat. 

Eventually, when it reached mid-morning, everyone had taken to lazing around the common room, spread out across the large couches and armchairs. Scylla was in the middle of braiding Raelle’s hair when Tally spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence of the room. 

“Why isn’t Libba home for break?” she asked, directing her question towards Abigail. Abigail turned towards her, breaking her concentration from the new chess set Scylla had gotten her. 

“Same as me,” she said, shrugging. “Our moms work together, so they’re both super busy right now.” 

Tally hummed her acknowledgement, lying back down on the green couch she was sprawled across. 

Raelle quirked her head up. “Why don’t we invite her down here?” she asked. 

Every head turned towards her, and Raelle couldn’t help but shrink under the attention. “Are you serious, shitbird?” Abigail asked incredulously. “She’s my nemesis!” 

Raelle rolled her eyes, and she didn’t have to look to know that Scylla was doing the same. “Yeah, whatever,” she responded, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m just saying, it would suck to spend Christmas alone.” 

Abigail sighed, slumping over slightly while Scylla slapped Raelle on the shoulder again, telling her to stop moving for the tenth time. 

“Yeah, we should invite her down,” Tally agreed. “You guys can play chess,” 

Abigail bristled. “I am  _ not-”  _

“Please,” Scylla snorted, not even looking up. She was too focused on the intricate braids she was crafting on the side of Raelle’s head. “You’ve been dying to try out that chess set for nearly an hour now. Tally doesn’t know how to play, Raelle and I are busy,” she motioned towards herself and Raelle, who was still propped up against the bottom of the chair Scylla was seated in. “At least see if Libba wants to.” 

Abigail scowled at her, but she didn’t protest. After a moment of silence, she released a comically loud groan before getting up and headed towards the stairs. 

As soon as she was out of earshot, Raelle raised her eyebrows, looking over at Tally conspiratorially. Scylla slapped her shoulder again, and Raelle jerked her head back immediately. “She’s so gay for Libba,” Raelle said matter-of-factly. 

Tally gave her a thoughtful look. “You think so?” she asked, scratching her chin and glancing up towards where the dorms were.

Raelle nodded, careful not to mess with the braids too much as Scylla worked. “Oh, totally,” she replied. “No one talks about someone so much without having some sort of crush on them.” 

“Yeah, but she always talks shit about Libba,” Scylla pointed out. 

“That’s because she’s in denial!” Raelle insisted. “You guys ever notice how her complaints slowly turn into compliments if you let her talk enough?” 

Tally nodded, thinking back to the time when Abigail had been complaining about Libba yet again, and Tally had tuned her out, as usual. But, when she tuned back in a bit later, Abigail was talking about how pretty Libba’s eyes were when she was angry.

When Tally had given her a questioning look, Abigail had turned into a blushing, stammering mess, immediately trailing off.

“Yeah, you’re totally right,” Tally agreed after a moment of thought. 

“Thank you, thank you,” Raelle said smugly. 

Scylla raised her eyebrows at both of them. “I’m not saying you’re wrong or anything,” she said, “But are you sure this is going anywhere? We don’t know if Libba likes Abi back.”

“That’s true,” Tally agreed. 

“You guys are so blind!” Raelle said. “Have you ever seen them in the same room? They get, like,  _ way  _ too close when they’re doing their whole nemesis thing.” 

Tally narrowed her eyes. 

“I’m telling you,” Raelle insisted. “The sexual tension is off the charts!” 

“They do get really close,” Scylla conceded. 

Tally nodded. “True.” 

“Mark my words,” Raelle said. “By the end of this break, we’re going to find them making out in a broom closet somewhere.” 

Scylla narrowed her eyes skeptically. “I don’t know about  _ that,  _ Rae,” she said. 

Tally seemed equally as disbelieving. 

“I’ll bet you five galleons,” Raelle challenged. “They're totally going to kiss.” 

Tally and Scylla exchanged glances. 

“Fine,” Tally said. 

“Deal,” Scylla agreed. 

Raelle smiled. “I’ll be looking forward to taking your money,” she said confidently. 

Scylla rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's antics before she finally pulled away, giving the braids one last look. “Okay, finished!” she said with a grin. 

Raelle reached up a hand to feel the braids, smiling when she felt how neat and intricate they were. It was just like Scylla to do everything perfectly, even hair. 

“C’mon, come look,” Scylla insisted, pulling Raelle up and leading her over to the floor-length mirror that was hanging from the far wall. 

Raelle raised her eyebrows when she saw how good the braids looked. “Wow, Scyl,” she said, peering into the mirror. “I’m gonna have to get you to do these for me more often.” 

Scylla grinned, giving her a mock bow. “Thank you, thank you,” she said. 

“Don’t let it get to your head, though,” Raelle said, noticing Scylla’s smug smile. 

“Please,” Scylla said, waving a dismissive hand at her. “ _ Never.”  _

Raelle smiled at her, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. “Good,” she said softly after she pulled back. “Because you’re  _ perfect.”  _

Scylla smirked. “I know,” she said, flipping her hair.

“What did I just say about not letting it get to your head?” Raelle asked, scratching her chin thoughtfully. 

Scylla laughed. “I don’t remember that at all,” she insisted. 

Raelle was about to respond when Tally interrupted. “Hey,” she said. “Hate to interrupt this cute banter,  _ really,  _ but Abigail’s been gone a while,” 

Raelle furrowed her brows. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It has been a bit.” 

“I hope she didn’t kill Libba,” Scylla said, only half joking. 

Tally forced a laugh anyway. 

“Let’s go check and make sure,” Tally suggested quickly, already heading towards the stairs. 

Raelle wiggled her eyebrows as they walked up the stairs. “I bet they aren’t  _ fighting,”  _ she muttered suggestively to Scylla.

Scylla rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Rae,” she said. “It’s totally not going to happen.” 

Finding themselves faced with the girl’s dormitory entrance, Tally didn’t hesitate before pushing open the wooden door and entering the room, closely followed by Raelle and Scylla. 

Raelle roared with laughter as soon as she saw what waited inside. 

Abigail and Libba jumped away from each other, flushed and breathing heavily as they looked over at the three in shock. 

“Haven’t you guys ever heard of  _ knocking! _ ” Abigail spat as Libba inconspicuously wiped her mouth. 

Raelle was still cracking up, noticing the way both their cheeks were flushed a bright red, their lips still a little swollen. 

“Is that-” Tally stammered, gaze locked on Libba’s neck. “Is that a hickey?” 

Libba immediately raised a hand to cover the mark, avoiding everyone’s gaze. 

Abigail swallowed, choking on her words. 

Raelle finally recovered, her laughs tapering off as she caught her breath and wiped a few tears away. “Fork it up, ladies,” she said smugly, holding her hand out expectantly. 

Both Tally and Scylla groaned before fishing in their pockets for coins. 

Abigail and Libba watched with furrowed brows while Raelle smiled at them, and their eyes widened with realization when Tally piled a few golden coins onto Raelle’s waiting palm. 

“Your friends made bets on us?” Libba asked, turning towards Abigail with an incredulous look on her face.

Raelle pocketed the coins as soon as Scylla paid off, smiling at the pair once again. Abigail flashed her a furious gaze, rapidly turning between her and Libba, as if struggling to find the words. 

Raelle laughed, firing them a two-finger salute as she left the dorm, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll leave you two alone to discuss.” 

And then she was gone, followed rather quickly by Tally and Scylla. 

Leaving Abigail and Libba alone in a silent dorm.

Abigail turned back towards Libba, wincing at her furious look. “Sorry?” she said. 

Libba sighed, rolling her eyes. “Whatever, Bellweather,” she said, exasperated. 

Without another word, they were locked together again, Libba grabbing the back of Abigail’s neck and jerking her closer, deepening the kiss. 

They separated for only a moment, and Abigail gave Libba a breathless look. “Your eyes are so pretty,” she said before launching herself forward for another kiss.

* * *

By the time Abigail and Libba finally retreated from the dorms, their lips swollen and their faces flushed, Raelle was too hungry to tease them any more than she already had. 

That didn’t stop Tally, however. 

She spent the entire walk to the Great Hall teasing Abigail and asking Libba dozens of questions about herself. 

“What's your favorite color?” 

“Blue.” 

“Favorite movie?” 

“Uh, Jennifer’s Body.” 

“Nice,” called Raelle from ahead of them. 

“What do you like about Abigail?” 

“Um,” 

Abigail finally intervened. “You don’t have to answer that, Libba,” she said, throwing a glare to Tally. “Tal, let her breath.” 

Tally slumped, but she perked up when she saw the food that awaited them when they reached the Great Hall. 

Libba joined them for their meal, sitting with them at the Hufflepuff table and staying quiet most of the time, but chiming in when Raelle began to tease Abigail. 

She had Raelle cracking up with a comment about how competitive Abigail was while Abigail herself was staring pointedly at her food and avoiding all eye contact. “I hate all of you,” she muttered while Raelle loudly cackled. 

“I’m really starting to like you, Libba,” she said breathlessly. 

Scylla frowned at her. 

Raelle almost immediately sobered. “An appropriate amount, of course.” she amended. Turning to Abigail, she flashed a quick grin. “I approve, Abi.” 

Abigail promptly held her face in her hands, releasing a loud groan. “Good to know,” she said. 

Libba laughed. “You guys aren’t too bad yourselves.” 

Scyla shrugged, sitting a bit closer to Raelle and resting a hand on her thigh. “Thanks,” she replied simply. 

They spent the rest of their morning and most of the afternoon playing various games in the Hufflepuff common room. Raelle and Tally easily snuck all of them in, and none of the other Hufflepuffs home for the break even spared them a glance. 

They played monopoly, and Abigail obviously crushed them all. Libba, though, came dangerously close to winning. It seemed she was just as competitive as Abigail, glaring at the girl the entire time they played and nearly flipping the board when she emerged victorious. 

As usual, they were flinging insults at each other as soon as the game had ended, and Raelle rolled her eyes. “Don’t start making out again, ladies, please,” she begged. 

Libba and Abigail promptly took a seat, immediately avoiding the other’s eyes. 

They followed it up with a game of trivial pursuit, which Tally dominated. Everyone was rather surprised by her vast knowledge of absolutely useless facts. 

Raelle barely pulled a win in Uno, narrowly beating Scylla, much to her girlfriend’s disappointment. 

And Scylla absolutely destroyed them all at poker. Her poker face was so solid, not even Raelle could tell if her girlfriend was bluffing. Raelle was a terrible liar, so she lost all her betting jellybeans within the first round. Tally made it a bit longer, but she didn’t fare much better. That left Libba, Abigail, and Scylla. Abigail's poker face was no match for Scylla’s, and she folded when she got a particularly bad hand. Libba put in a valiant effort, but Scylla easily won. 

Raelle had kissed her, giving her a mischievous grin as she did. “Should I be concerned about how good you are at lying?” she asked, planting herself in Scylla’s lap as Libba and Abigail went off to find a new game to play. 

“Of course not, Rae,” Scylla said, smiling warmly. “I would never lie to you.”

Raelle narrowed her eyes. “Is that a lie?” 

Scylal didn’t answer, her face remaining unchanged. 

Raelle shrugged. “Okay,” she replied, leaning in for another kiss. 

Tally groaned as she noticed Abigail and Libba holding hands in the corner while Raelle and Scylla made out right next to her. “God, I wish Glory was here,” she muttered. Her girlfriend had gone home with most everyone else when the break started, leaving her alone with all of these horrible couples. 

What a terrible fate. 

They took a trip to Hogsmeade afterwards, stopping at the Three Broomsticks for a warm drink. 

They sat at the same booth they had before, this time with Libba crammed next to Abigail and Tally on one side. 

They talked and laughed for hours, enjoying one another’s company. Raelle held Scylla’s hand the entire time, taking comfort in the contact as they sipped their butterbeers and had an intense discussion about everyone’s favorite movie. 

Raelle agreed that Jennifer’s Body was an absolute masterpiece, but she argued that Mamma Mia! was simply  _ better.  _

Which led to a near screaming match between everyone except Abigail, who was extremely lost. She grew up in an exclusively wizarding household, so she hadn’t seen any movies, much less a musical about a girl with three dads. She could barely conceptualize a musical. 

By the time the owner finally kicked them out at closing, the argument had toned down enough that everyone could simply agree to disagree. 

Raelle hummed Abba songs as they left.

They spent the walk back to the castle in a comfortable silence, their footsteps leaving imprints in the snow as they made their way up the trail. 

When they finally separated and made their way to their dorms, Abigail and Libba walked a little too close, grasping hands as they walked down towards the Slytherin common room. 

Tally waited for Raelle to walk with her, but the girl simply waved goodbye and walked with Scylla in the opposite direction. 

Tally groaned, waving back and turning to head towards the Hufflepuff tower.  _ Alone.  _

Although, as she walked, she found a small smile making its way onto her face. She was really happy that Raelle had found Scylla. She was really happy they all ended up okay in the end, despite all that had happened. 

She fell asleep pretty easily that night, giving Benny a small smile before turning out the light and getting into bed. 

Raelle and Scylla spent their night in the Room of Requirement, holding each other close and smiling to themselves as they began to fall asleep. 

Raelle felt a warmth bloom in her chest as she looked down at her sleeping girlfriend. She had never been happier than she was right now, holding Scylla close in a tiny twin bed. 

Raelle was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for sticking around through the whole thing!! Really appreciate all the comments and kudos, it gave me to motivation to finish. Please let me know what you thought with a comment!! Thank you!!


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